Freedom Of Choice
by whiterose03
Summary: Now that Kagome was forced into her time, will she stay there or fight back on her own and in her own way? There's no way that she's staying out of this fight? She will show her friends what she's made of. InuKag, MS, SessRin MAJOR FLUFF! REVIEWS WELCOME
1. The Strength Within

AN: this is my first inu fic, I have another fic, but it's a beyblade fic, check it out if you like beyblade. Anyways, this was first going to be a one-shot but thanx to my friend Starry Nights, it's a full blown out story with lots of chapters, plot, villain, etc. hope u like the first chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha

Translation:

Miko – priestess

Ki – spirit energy

Youkai – demon

Hanyou – half-demon half-human

* * *

**Freedom Of Choice**

_**Chapter One: The Strength Within**_

_**Revised 10-08-04**_

The wind blew gently through the calm forest in the afternoon. As it blew by it picked up ebony hair and blew it in front of its owner's face. The owner, a girl, no a young woman with blue-grey eyes was sitting at the edge of a dried up well, the Bone-eater's Well.

Kagome Higurashi had come to the Feudal Era, hoping that her friends were here, but from what she learned from Kaede, they had left in search for shards upon hearing a rumour.

She knew they would have been gone, seeing as they didn't expect her to be back for another week, yet she couldn't bring herself to go back to her time.

Kagome's school had finished for the summer. Actually, she had graduated. Now, the eighteen year-old miko should have been searching for a college to go to, but she had decided against it. Going to college would be harder than high school, meaning that she couldn't keep on missing it. She had decided that she would go to college after the Shikon Jewel was complete and Naraku was dead.

She stood up and stepped away from the well. She didn't really want to go home.

_'Might as well stay here and surprise everyone when they get back. After all, they are only one day away._' Kagome concluded starting back on the trail to the village.

Though she hadn't admitted it to anyone, in three years, Kagome's miko power had grown a lot and now she could control it well too. When she had reached the Feudal era, she had sent her ki in search for her friends and found that they were a day away. So, she went to the village to find out why they were away.

The reason Kagome never told anyone about her miko powers was because then Naraku would find out and get ready for her or try to find a way to stop her. She wanted to surprise him when they fought, so that he wouldn't know what was coming when she did attack him. After all, a couple of years ago, she almost defeated him with her purifying arrows. That was when they had met Sango too.

Another reason Kagome never told anyone was because they might compare her to Kikyo and she didn't want that happening. She was always being compared to her and she was sick of it.

She was glad that Inuyasha had stopped comparing her to Kikyo a long time ago. Though she didn't know why.

"Maybe Kikyo will always be more beautiful and a better miko than me," Kagome sighed out as she entered the village. Even though that was what Kagome thought, it was far from the truth. In reality, Kikyo's power could never compare with Kagome's. Kagome's power was from a pure soul and she was more powerful than Kikyo could ever have been, but she did not know this. No one did.

Kagome knew Inuyasha cared for her, but to what extent she didn't know. She knew they were close friends, maybe even best friends, but Inuyasha had never said or defined what relationship they had. She didn't blame him. After all, he did spend most of his life by himself and not with others, so he didn't know how to act around others, though he had come a long way since meeting Kagome.

However, unlike Inuyasha, Kagome knew how she felt about him since the beginning. She was in love with him, Inuyasha, the hanyou, and she loved him for who he was inside. She loved him with all her heart and wanted to be with him forever, even after the Shikon Jewel was complete. She wanted to be his wife, his mate in youkai terms and wanted to be the mother of his pups (after all, he was a dog demon). Now Kagome was blushing at the thought of having pups because in order for that to happen, they would have to do THAT!

"Oh, I'm becoming worse than Miroku." Kagome muttered out as she walked into the hut.

Kaede looked up from her herbs as Kagome walked in. She noticed that Kagome was in deep thought as she sat down by her yellow bag.

"What troubles ye child." Kaede calmly asked as she crushed the herbs.

Kagome snapped out of her trance at Kaede's voice and turned towards her.

"Oh nothing Kaede, just thinking." She answered as she moved closer. "Need any help?" She asked while settling down beside her.

"No child. I thought ye be going home." Kaede said as she put the herbs in specific jars.

"No, it's not like I have anything to do at home since school is finally over." Explained Kagome.

"Oh, is it ye 'summer break'?" Asked Kaede, repeating the words Kagome had used before.

"Yes, it is."

"How long is it? Is it two moon cycles like always?"

"Yes, but I'm done school completely. Want to see my graduation pictures?"

"What do ye mean done completely?"

"Oh, I'm finished. I passed all my subjects and grades."

"Well, congratulations Kagome."

"Thanks, Kaede."

"But ye better not tell Inuyasha or he will never let ye go home."

"Oh, I don't know about that. He'll probably miss ramen too much."

"Tis true."

"Well, here's my graduation pictures," said Kagome as she handed them to Kaede. "You get them done when you finally finish school," she explained.

"Ye look beautiful Kagome. Are ye going to show these to everyone else?"

"Yes I am."

Just then a child entered the hut.

"Kaede-sama, my okaa-san is going to have the baby now." The child nervously said.

"Come child, let's go." Stated Kaede as she tried to get up.

"Oh, Kaede let me do it. You seem tired." Kagome stated, looking at the elder miko.

"Oh very well. Ye have helped me many times before to know how it goes."

"All right, let's go Sakura." Kagome indicated to the girl as she walked out of the hut.

* * *

_**A few hours later.........**_

Kagome stepped into the hut, still drying her hands.

"How did it go?" Kaede asked, not looking up from the stew she was cooking.

"Oh it went very well. It was a boy." Grinned Kagome as she settled down beside Kaede.

"That is good, they've been wanting a boy for a long time."

Suddenly Kagome stiffened as a familiar sense passed through her.

"A jewel shard is coming this way!" Exclaimed Kagome as she grabbed her bow and arrow and left the hut to go into the forest.

"Don't worry Kaede, I'll be all right!" Shouted Kagome as she disappeared into the forest.

She followed the sense of the shards and realized that the youkai had two shards and it was heading her way.

She pulled out an arrow, notched it into her bow, and held it up in front of her, aiming at the direction where the demon would come out.

She heard a rustle coming in front of her. Then a huge scorpion demon came crashing into the open space Kagome was located in.

"Shikon shardssssssss, give it to me you puny human!" It hissed out as it took a stab at Kagome with its tail. Kagome expertly dodged the tail after years of fighting many demons.

"I would like to see you try." Kagome stated as she pulled back at her arrow and concentrated her miko powers into it. The scorpion cried out as it ran towards Kagome, tail in the air ready to strike. Once it was a couple of metres from Kagome, she let loose her purified arrow in a shower of pink light. It struck the scorpion demon in the heart and started purifying it. The demon soon disintegrated into a pile of dust on the forest floor. Kagome stepped towards the mess and picked out the two shards purifying it instantly.

"All in a day's work." She said as she headed back towards the village in the dusk.

Once she had reached the village, she put the two shards into the pouch where the rest of the shards were kept. She then turned towards the setting sun as it streaked red, orange, and pink colours across the sky.

"I hope you're all right and safe Inuyasha," she whispered into the wind before she turned towards Kaede's hut to have dinner and go to bed. She couldn't wait to see her friends tomorrow.

Before she went into Kaede's hut, she sent her ki out towards her friends and where they had made camp for the night. She concentrated on the distance and guessed they would reach the village by mid-morning. With that settled, she went into the hut as the sun finally set in the horizon, basking the remote village with darkness.

AN: next chapter, Inuyasha arrives as well as someone else, our other favourite dog demon!!!!!!

R & R for the next chapter

Ja ne


	2. First Impressions aren't always right

AN: hey people! This is my second fic, so enjoy and REVIEW!!!!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha  
  
Translations:  
  
Miko - priestess  
  
Oneesan - older sister  
  
Imoudo - younger sister  
  
Neko-youkai - cat demon  
  
Kitsune - fox demon  
  
Hanyou - half-human half-demon  
  
Youkai - demon  
  
Baka - idiot  
  
Kuso - shit  
  
Konnichiwa - hello  
  
-chan - a term of endearment, usually added at the end of a friend's name  
  
Hentai - pervert  
  
Houshi - monk  
  
Hiraikotsu - name of Sango's boomerang  
  
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Chapter 2: First impressions aren't always right!  
  
In the morning sun, birds could be heard chirping as they fluttered from tree to tree, the wind whipping around the leaves on the warm, sunny day. As the village came alive after a restful night with many voices, all talking and laughing about the day ahead, one still slept oblivious to the world around her.  
  
Kagome was still sleeping until a crash as well as shouting was heard throughout the village. She woke up with a start at all the noise that she heard coming from outside the hut. Thinking it was a demon attacking because she had felt a familiar presence of a demon, she grabbed her bow and arrows and ran out of the hut.  
  
When she reached the commotion, she wasn't expecting to see anything like this. There stood a demon in human form covered in a white and blue cloak with villagers around him with weapons that probably wouldn't do the demon any harm. The demon's presence seemed familiar to Kagome and she didn't feel threatened by it. Upon further inspection, she realized the demon underneath the cloak was Sesshomaru, the Demon Lord of the Western Lands. She tried to stifle a laugh at how ridiculous he looked and stepped in between the villagers.  
  
At the sight of the young miko, many of the villagers calmed down. As she stepped into the circle, a young girl, in the eyes of Kagome though, stepped away from the Demon Lord and ran towards the young miko.  
  
"Kagome-oneesan!" She shouted as she hugged her.  
  
"Rin!" Kagome returned the greeting, looking down at the thirteen- year old girl.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
AN: Let's just say that when Sess found her three years ago, she was ten, k!  
  
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Though Kagome would look at her as a young girl, she knew that in a couple of years, Rin would be married. It was hard for Kagome to grasp the idea that in the past, girls married so young. For example, if she lived in the past, she would have been married and already had a couple of kids by now. She shook her head at that thought.  
  
She turned towards Sesshomaru and raised her eyebrow at him. The villagers recognized Rin and realized the demon was Sesshomaru and backed off and left to do their daily work.  
  
"So what brings you here?" Kagome questioned him, trying not to laugh.  
  
Rin rolled her eyes when Kagome laughed at Sesshomaru and he glared at the laughing miko. She walked over to him and took off the cloak.  
  
"You know Sesshomaru, you don't have to wear this, it really doesn't suit you at all. After all, I made this when I was eleven, I don't know what I was thinking." Rin said as she scrunched up her face at the offending cloak. Sesshomaru just smiled at Rin, you know the smile that he only has for Rin, that smile.  
  
Kagome shook her head at this. 'I wonder what's going to happen when Rin's old enough to get married. I mean she could get married now. She should be courting now, but with Sesshomaru around, how's that gonna happen? Well, it's not like Rin wants any suitors. I know she's in love with him. I see it in her eyes, it's the same look I give Inuyasha. I wonder how Sesshomaru feels about Rin. It's not like he's gonna say anything. He says he hates humans, but he keeps Rin around and tolerates the villagers and us every time he visits. I wouldn't be surprised if he loves Rin and makes her his mate. After all, if Rin mates with him, she'll have the same life-span as Sesshomaru. This is getting too complicated.' Kagome thought.  
  
She turned back at the 'couple' who were still staring at each other. Kagome cleared her throat to get their attention. 'I think my guess might be right.' She thought as they turned towards her, their faces flushed. 'No way! The Great Sesshomaru blushing, this is more serious then I thought. Why doesn't he tell her or is he too stubborn? That's probably it, it must run in the family.' She contemplated.  
  
"So what bring you two here?" Kagome questioned.  
  
"I need Rin to stay here for the day." He answered.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I need to go meet the Lord of the Eastern Land and he doesn't particularly likes humans." He calmly stated.  
  
"Sure, that would be all right.  
  
"My brother will be here in a little while, so I can be sure that she will be kept safe."  
  
"I can keep her safe you know."  
  
"Right."  
  
"Argg...when will you be back?"  
  
"Tonight."  
  
"Well, see you later Sesshomaru."  
  
"Bye Rin, bye imoudo." He calmly stated as he disappeared into the sky, a small smile gracing his lips.  
  
"IMOUDO!!!!" Shrieked Kagome, starring in horror at the Demon Lord.  
  
"Well, you are going to be his sister-in-law soon after you and Inuyasha become mates." Explained Rin. After three years, the naïve girl had disappeared and had been replaced by a young women who held much wisdom for her age.  
  
"Inuyasha doesn't like me that way." Stuttered Kagome, hiding her flushed face behind her hands. Rin laughed at this as she headed towards Kaede's hut, which she had become familiar with from previous visits with Sesshomaru, even though Sesshomaru barely talked.  
  
Kagome just followed her in trying to get rid of the redness from her cheeks.  
  
Just before she headed into the hut, she turned back to where the Demon Lord flew off.  
  
'When I first met him, I thought he was a Big Jerk; a cold, heartless monster. I guess first impressions are not always right. He changed after Rin. I hope Rin will stay with him, she's the only one I think that makes him happy. I guess you can say, Rin made him somewhat get along with Inuyasha as brothers should, though I had to persuade Inuyasha a little. I guess he has became somewhat our friends. That's a comfort, at least he won't be trying to kill us anytime soon.' Kagome thought as she walked into the hut.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Some miles away, a red figure could be seen jumping tree to tree as well as a fire neko-youkai with a kitsune, a monk, and a demon exterminator riding her.  
  
Inuyasha leaped from tree to tree contemplating about the failed shard rumour that they went to check out. It was only a regular low-level demon with no shard trying to cause trouble. He was in a bad mood about the wasted time.  
  
'I could have visited Kagome in her time. I haven't seen her in two weeks. I never knew I could miss her this much. Okay, yes I hate it when she leaves me to go to her time, because we're wasting time, we should be looking for shards. No that isn't it. I really miss her when she leaves. Why? She's just a friend right? Ya, my best friend, she was the first one to like me for who I am, a hanyou. She never made fun of me and wasn't afraid of me when I turned into a youkai. She's always there when I come back from seeing Kikyo.....Kikyo, she's just an obligation to me now. I don't think I love her anymore, I don't think I ever loved her. We were just two lonely souls looking for a place in the world. We just wanted company, it wasn't love. However, what is Kagome to me? A friend? Or more? This is too confusing! Why would Kagome look at me in that way? Wait a minute when did I look at her in THAT way?  
  
'Cause you love her.'  
  
'Who's that?'  
  
'You're conscious.'  
  
'Didn't know I had one.'  
  
'Everyone has one you dimwit!'  
  
'Whatever, you don't have to yell and for your information I don't love Kagome!'  
  
'Yes you do.'  
  
'Do not.'  
  
'Do too.'  
  
'Do not.'  
  
'Do too.'  
  
'Do not.'  
  
'Do too.'  
  
'Do not.'  
  
'Do not.'  
  
'Do too!'  
  
'I agree you do love her.'  
  
'Dammit! So what if I love her, it's not like she loves me in return.'  
  
'So you admit it.'  
  
'Yes I admit it.'  
  
'Good. Now if she didn't love you why would she stay with you after all those nasty things you said to her all those years ago. And why would she say that she wanted to be with you and will follow you those years ago when you decided to be with Kikyo?'  
  
'So you think she loves me.'  
  
'Yes I do.'  
  
'Well, it's not like I'm gonna be with Kikyo anymore and I'm not gonna go to hell with her.'  
  
'Then what are you waiting for.'  
  
'What if she doesn't want to be with me and what about the time difference?'  
  
'Well, you could always live in her time. It's not like you have anything here to hold you back.'  
  
'True, but the question still is if she wants me.'  
  
'Well, you have to tell her how you feel.'  
  
'What! Are you crazy! No way am I gonna tell her.'  
  
'What are you scared!'  
  
'No, I'll just tell her whenever I want to. Ya, that's right, I'll just tell her whenever I want to.'  
  
'Okay, but your loss.'  
  
'What's that suppose to mean?'  
  
'What if another male comes to her and ask her to be his mate or what's the human word...wife, that's it.'  
  
'Ya right, who would do that.'  
  
'Well there's Koga and that human boy from her time, Hojo.'  
  
'That wimpy wolf, like he can have her while I'm around and why would Kagome want to be with that puny, stupid human?'  
  
'Maybe she wants to be with him because he gives her attention and tells her how he feels about her.'  
  
'That Hobo better not have told MY Kagome that he loves her.'  
  
'Hojo.'  
  
'Hobo, Hojo whatever!'  
  
"Well, when did Kagome become MY Kagome.'  
  
'She's MINE.'  
  
'We're the same person you baka.'  
  
'Oh ya.'  
  
'Look what I have to work with.'  
  
'You know you just put down yourself.'  
  
'Kuso!'  
  
'We're getting off track, what if that Hobo guy said he loved her? Is that why she's staying in her time for so long.'  
  
'I don't know, but Kagome said she had those exams to do and she would never lie to you.'  
  
'You're right.'  
  
'But you should still tell her soon.'  
  
'I know, but when the time is right.'  
  
'When will the time be ever right? Don't get scared. Just build up your courage and tell her. Come on, you can fight tons of demons, but you can't tell the women you love that you love her?'  
  
'I can, but when the time is right.'  
  
'Just go for it. I know you're scared, but you gotta go through with it.'  
  
'I will somehow.'  
  
Inuyasha shook out of his internal struggle when he caught a familiar scent.  
  
'That's Kagome!'  
  
He was filled with a sense of belonging and happiness when he thought about Kagome and her scent lulled him to peacefulness.  
  
'But why's she here? I hope nothing bad happen.' He thought as he and the others arrived at the village.  
  
The gang headed straight towards the hut where they were met with Rin.  
  
"Konnichiwa." Rin greeted as she bowed to others.  
  
The others returned the greeting and asked her why she was here in which she explained.  
  
"Kagome-oneesan told me to make ramen for lunch because you guys would be arriving soon." Rin concluded.  
  
"Kagome's here and how did she know we were arriving soon?" Asked Sango.  
  
"Yes she's here, and Sesshoumaru told her." Rin answered.  
  
"Hmm, she's back early." Said Miroku as he settled himself on the floor beside Sango.  
  
"Well, I'm gonna go look for her." Inuyasha stated, heading towards the door.  
  
"Well, she went to go visit Sakura-chan's new baby brother that Kagome delivered last night and the she was gonna collect herbs for Kaede." Rin offered. Inuyahsa nodded at Rin before he left.  
  
"Where's Kaede?" Shippo asked, yawning in the middle of the sentence.  
  
"She's in the rice field."  
  
"Oh, okay, I'm gonna go to sleep." Shippo mumbled before drifting off to sleep.  
  
"Rin do you need any help?" Asked Sango.  
  
"No that's okay."  
  
"Good, then I'm going to take a bath." Sango then turned towards the monk who had a big lecherous smile on his face with his hand on Sango's butt.  
  
"HENTAI!" She shouted before slamming her boomerang on top his head.  
  
"You better not follow me Houshi or else you be reacquainted with my good friend Hiraikotsu!" With that said, she gathered her bath supply and left to bathe in the river. With that said she bashed him again, knocking him unconscious.  
  
After a couple of minutes in which Miroku woke up.......  
  
"I think I'll go for a walk." Miroku calmly stated before leaving the hut with Rin shaking her head.  
  
"I wonder if he'll live through the experience?" Rin questioned to no one in particular.  
  
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AN: decided to stop there for now...phew long chapter, I added not only Inuyasha, but Sesshomaru too. *runs away from Sess and Inu fans you are throwing vegetables and saying that they want Inu and Sess* *Yells back at the* Sorry girls they've already been paired up *keeps running away from angry fan girls*  
  
R & R for more chapters or I'm not putting up any! ^_^ how am I gonna know if u like the fic if you don't review, so REVIEW!!!!!!  
  
Ja ne 


	3. Reflections

AN: Well I updated! OH, this is major FLUFF here people, watch out for FLUFF HRE IT COMES!!!!!  
  
Disclaimer: Sadly to say I do not own Inuyasha, but I would like to; maybe someday in the near future...yea right like that would ever happen! @_@  
  
REVIEW RESPONSES:  
  
Tinkerbell: Thanx for the compliment.  
  
Natalia: Thanx for the review. I know what you mean. I wanted to portray her has a strong miko, not a weak girl.  
  
Moonlight: AWWWW...thanxs ^_^  
  
Cookies6: *blush* Ya I know, you wait, they will, sooner or later, you just have to wait..the suspense is building, lol  
  
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Chapter 3: Reflections  
  
Kagome sat by a patch of herbs picking the ones that were needed and putting them in a basket beside her. She had felt her friends arriving the village, but thought that she would finish here before going to see them, though she knew Inuyasha would find her sooner than the others.  
  
Just then, she felt the familiar presence of Inuyasha and she knew he would find her soon. She felt a whoosh of air before something red settled right beside her in a crouching position like a dog. She turned towards the dog demon with a smile on her face.  
  
"Hey Inuyasha!" She said, but was met with silence. Kagome looked at him while he stared back at her with a serious look on his face. Her smile faltered a bit.  
  
"What's wrong?" He asked.  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"What I'm talking about is that you're here early!"  
  
"Ya, I finished and I was going to stay the extra week with my family, but decided to come here instead."  
  
"Oh, so nothing's wrong."  
  
"Nope, nothing is wrong. I would tell you if something is wrong Inuyasha, but thank-you for the concern."  
  
"Feh," Inuyasha said settling down beside her with his head turned away from her, but secretly watched her from the corner of his eyes.  
  
This comfortable silence lasted for some time before Kagome decided to break it.  
  
"You know, I finished school now."  
  
"Ya, so how did those exams go?"  
  
"They went well, I passed!"  
  
"Well, um...that's good. Must have been easy then."  
  
'That's gotta be Inuyasha's way of congratulations.'  
  
"Well, thanks Inuyasha."  
  
Inuyasha shook his head at Kagome's comment.  
  
'How did she know I meant to congratulate her?'  
  
"Feh, now you don't have to go to that stupid school for two months."  
  
"Well...um...Inuyasha?"  
  
"Oh no, don't tell me you have to go, Kagome!" Inuyasha whined.  
  
"No, I don't have to go to school."  
  
"Then what?"  
  
"I finished high school completely. I graduated from it."  
  
"Grad-u-ated?"  
  
"That means I passed all the school subjects, so I'm done!"  
  
"Wait, does that mean you don't have to go to school anymore and now could stay here without going back to your time?" Inuyasha said, perking up at the idea of staying with Kagome. He suddenly felt happy to know that Kagome would be staying with him.  
  
"No, after high school, you go to college or university." Inuyasha's ears drooped at this answer.  
  
"So you're going to this coll-ege thing." He said sadly, keeping the bitterness and hurt from his voice.  
  
"No, I decided not to because I can't keep missing so many college classes since it's harder and I'll really fail." Inuyasha was surprised at this answer since he remembered Kagome telling him education was very important in her time, because it got you a job.  
  
"But don't you need to go to college?'  
  
"Ya, I'll go back later. It doesn't matter how old you are, you can go whenever you want to. I'll go when Naruku's dead. We can't let him keep getting the shards or he'll get stronger."  
  
"Oh, I see. So, you're gonna stay here from now on."  
  
"Inuyasha, if I did that I would miss my family a lot and we'll run out of ramen."  
  
"Dammit! Fine, we'll go back to your time, but not so often as before since you don't have any school anymore."  
  
"Sure, Inuyasha." She smiled at him as she finished picking her herbs.  
  
'Kami she's beautiful.' Inuyasha thought as he stared at the young miko he had fallen in love with. The sunlight glistened off her ebony hair giving it a bluish tint that matched her eyes.  
  
All Inuyasha wanted to do was take her in his arms and tell her how he felt about her, but he couldn't. He was too nervous and afraid that she would reject him. So, he kept quiet and admired her from where he was.  
  
Kagome's voice brought Inuyasha out of his thoughts and he focused on the girl beside him.  
  
"Remember when I first met you?"  
  
"When you fell by the God tree because Mistress Centipede was chasing you?"  
  
"No, actually I met you before that..."  
  
"Huh? When?"  
  
"I have a confession to make. After I climbed out of the well, I walked into the forest and there I saw you stuck to the God Tree."  
  
"Oh, let me guess, the villagers came and attacked you. That's so like them."  
  
"INUYASHA!!! They were just protecting their village."  
  
"Feh."  
  
"Well, before they came I walked up to you and saw your dog ears and...promise you won't laugh?"  
  
"WHAT? Fine fine."  
  
"Ok, well, when I saw your dog ears I had an urge to touch them, so I climbed to where you were stuck and startedtorubyourears!" Kagome finished quickly, shutting her eyes and mentally trying to get rid of the blush that had crept onto her face.  
  
Inuyasha however, with his super hearing, heard every single word Kagome spoke. His face flushed at the thought of Kagome touching his ears. With that thought, his ears started twitching, wanting her to touch them.  
  
Kagome, waiting for Inuyasha to say something, thought his silence meant that he thought she was crazy. However, she was surprised at his response.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Why what?"  
  
"Why did you want to touch them?"  
  
"Because they looked fuzzy and cute and I wanted to pat them."  
  
Inuyasha almost chocked at her answer.  
  
'She thinks my ears are CUTE! I thought she would find them repulsive, they mark me as a hanyou, but she doesn't care that I'm a hanyou. That's probably what I love most about her, she accepts me as a hanyou and doesn't care that I am one. I don't know why though, hell she isn't even afraid of me in my youkai form. She always gets me back to my own self. My own self...is it my hanyou form? Do I still want be a full demon? No, I'm strong without becoming one, I don't have a reason to become one anymore. Well that's final, I'm not gonna use the Shikon no Tama to become a full demon.'  
  
Inuyasha was yet again snapped out of his thoughts by Kagome's voice.  
  
"I know it was stupid of me to pat your ears, because you probably hate it when people do that and now..." Kagome stopped her nervous rambling when a pair of cute, fuzzy ears popped in front of her.  
  
"Eh?" was her smart remark to the situation.  
  
"I know you want to pat them, so go ahead." Inuyasha said in gruff voice, masking his nervousness if she neglected to touch his ears.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Really."  
  
She gave a squeal and started rubbing his ears. They twitched in response. She kept rubbing until she heard a deep rumble from Inuyasha.  
  
"Kami that feels so good." He thought as he unconsciously started to purr.  
  
"Inuyasha are you purring?" Kagome whispered.  
  
"No..." He mumbled out as he placed his head down on Kagome's lap.  
  
'OMG, he has his head in my lap! Does he know what he's doing? Probably not. He's in love with Kikyou stupid. Oh well, just enjoy it while you can.'  
  
They stayed like that for a couple of minutes until they could hear Rin's voice calling them for lunch.  
  
Inuyasha quickly got up and started walking towards the hut, but Kagome saw the blush that had formed on his cheeks.  
  
'Maybe he did realized what he was doing.' Kagome thought.  
  
"Come on." He said before walking away.  
  
Kagome picked up the basket of herbs and ran to catch up to him while secretly reminding herself not to talk about the patting of the ears because he probably would get mad at her and wouldn't let her do it again.  
  
'Maybe he might let me pet his ears again if I don't talk about it. He did seem to be enjoying himself.' She thought as she caught up to him.  
  
They walked side by side in silence towards Kaede's hut where their friends would be waiting for them.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
AN: WOW! Major fluff! So cute if I say so myself ^_~! Review if you have any suggestions, I love reviews!  
  
R & R PLEASE!  
  
Ja ne 


	4. Friendship

A/N: Thanx for all your support! ^_^ Here's the next chapter, still full of fluff, but the story will progress soon!  
  
Disclaimer: (looks at Rumiko Takahashi) Do you have to ask?  
  
Translations:  
  
Hentai: pervert  
  
Nani: what!  
  
Miko: priestess  
  
Houshi-sama: monk  
  
Review responses:  
  
Medicated Freak: REALLY! I feel so special! Someone likes my story! *hands medicated freak an Inu plushie* Enjoy and thanx for the review! Review again I hope.  
  
Cookie6: Me too! I love his ears and want to pet the all day! ^_^ thanx for the review and review again!  
  
Marnika: You think so, thanx a lot! Review again.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Chapter 4: Friendship  
  
Kagome and Inuyasha stepped into the hut to come upon a familiar sight. In one corner slept Shippo oblivious to what was happening around him. In another corner, sat a fuming Sango glaring at a certain monk sitting in another corner rubbing his right cheek that had a red handprint on it.  
  
"Ah...I missed this." Kagome said happily skipping towards Rin who was filling up bowls of ramen.  
  
The others just looked at her like she was crazy, but Kagome just brushed them off. She picked up the bowls and started handing them to the others including Shippo who had woken up at the sound of Kagome's voice and had pounced on her before settling down with a bowl of ramen.  
  
Lastly she took two bowls and settled beside Inuyasha, giving him one of the two bowls. He looked at her and nodded in appreciation when she gave it to him and started slurping down the noodles. Kagome started eating as well, hiding her blush with her bowl because of Inuyasha's sign of appreciation.  
  
'What am I doing? I'm blushing like a school girl.' Kagome scolded herself mentally at her foolishness, all the while looking at Inuyasha in the corner of her eyes before turning away.  
  
Inuyasha meanwhile was looking at Kagome in the corner of his eyes and saw the blush that formed when he had nodded at her in thanks. He mentally cheered at himself for causing that kind of reaction out of Kagome. (AN: Aaawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww, so cute!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) He also noticed that every once in awhile, Kagome would look at him in the corner of her eyes, thinking that he didn't see her. He wanted to do a jig when he noticed that and had to will himself not to smile. (AN: Inu doing a jig, hehehe)  
  
After lunch was over and everything was cleaned up, the group of six sat in the hut to catch up on things.  
  
"So how was those 'tests' and 'exams' Kagome-chan? Did you pass?" Sango asked the miko sitting next to the hanyou, who was leaning against the wall, where as she and Miroku leaned on the opposite wall with Rin. Shippo had fallen asleep in Kagome's sleeping bag that she forgot to put away that morning.  
  
"They went well. I passed them, so I graduated." She was given a blank look from her friends.  
  
"That means I finished school." She explained to her confused friends. They all broke out in grins at that statement.  
  
"Well done Lady Kagome." Miroku said.  
  
"Congratulations." Sango and Rin said to her.  
  
"Thanks! I also got my graduation pictures done too. Want to see them?"  
  
"Pictures. Those are portraits that you take with that little, black box, right Kagome-chan?" Sango asked.  
  
Kagome nodded while she handed out her pictures. They all commented on how beautiful she looked except Inuyasha, who just kept quiet while looking at the pictures.  
  
Inuyasha flipped through the pictures, which were being passed around. From time to time he would look at Kagome who sat beside him.  
  
'She looks good in the pictures, but the real thing is better, not like I'm gonna tell anyone.' With that said he came across a picture of Kagome without the graduation robe on and was dressed in some normal clothes. It was one of the personalized pictures and it was a close-up of her with her hand under her chin with her elbow propped up against a table or something. It was the best one Inuyasha had seen of Kagome. She had that smile that she often used on Inuyasha and he had always felt like melting when he saw that smile, especially now when he saw the picture. Inuyasha glanced around the room and noticed that nobody was paying attention to him. He quickly and quietly placed the picture in his haori. After that was done and settled with, they went back to their original seating.  
  
"So, did you find anything on that shard rumour? I don't sense any shards on you guys." Kagome asked when they were settled.  
  
"Feh! It was just a weak demon, nothing special. All that time wasted!" Inuyasha snorted out. Miroku and Sango just shrugged their shoulders at this.  
  
"True, I guess. We did waste that time and didn't come up with any shards in the two weeks that you were gone." Sango explained to Kagome.  
  
Kagome smiled a knowing smile, pulling out her shards' pouch.  
  
"Actually when I came here yesterday, I sensed a demon with two shards and took him down. So, we did actually get two shards even though I'm the one who got it." Kagome grinned out.  
  
"NANI!" The others shouted with their jaws hanging open.  
  
"What? You guys don't think I can take down a demon!? I can too and I proved it to you guys." Kagome fumed at her friends. The others nodded dumbly to her.  
  
"Well, you've gone a long way with your miko powers, Lady Kagome." Miroku said while his hand inched towards a certain exterminator's butt.  
  
SLAP!  
  
"HOUSHI-SAMA!" Sango screamed at the unconscious perverted monk as she pummelled him.  
  
"My dear Sango, how can I resist you and your lovely body?" Miroku grinned a perverted grin, before pummelled by a blushing Sango.  
  
"Will he ever learn?" Sighed Rin as the others rolled their eyes at Miroku's perverted, yet predictable behaviour.  
  
"Who knows? I think he just acts like that to cover up that he's in love with Sango." Shippo, who had woken up from the noise, said innocently.  
  
This made Sango stop immediately and the unconscious monk to wake up, both of their faces red. They couldn't look at each other in the face and Miroku didn't even deny it.  
  
The rest of the group consisting of Inuyasha, Kagome and Rin snickered at the red couple quietly. Shippo was just confused and didn't know what was so bad about what he said.  
  
"What did I say?" Shippo asked the others. This halted the snickering and a long awkward silence followed the statement.  
  
Miroku, who couldn't handle the silence and awkwardness, did the only sensible thing he could think of to get the normal atmosphere. He groped Sango.  
  
"HENTAI!" Sango shrieked as she felt Miroku's hand on her bottom. She knocked him unconscious with a punch, resulting in the awkward atmosphere to diminish.  
  
"You think he would learn by now." Kagome giggled at the unconscious monk lying sprawled on the floor of the hut, while Sango jabbed her fist into him repeatedly.  
  
Kagome looked at her friends around the hut and smiled to herself. She realized that her life was blessed to find friends like them. She had never in her wildest dreams thought that she would have a friendship this tight that they would face death together and risk one another's life for each other. That was true friendship. She hoped that these days would never end. Even if the jewel was completed and Naraku was dead. She still wanted to be with her friends.  
  
Kagome couldn't help herself and looked towards Inuyasha. He was leaning against the hut's wall, with his eyes closed, yet his ears twitched back and forth from the noise the others were emitting. Kagome faintly heard Rin asking Shippo to come with her to help Kaede in the rice fields in which he agreed, as the fighting between Sango and Miroku annoyed him. Once they left, Sango was still at it with Miroku until she gave up and stormed out of the hut leaving an unconscious, monk or so it appeared. After a few moments later, the perverted monk got up, dusted himself off and calmly walked out of the hut.  
  
With him gone, Kagome found herself alone with the love of her life, whose ears were still twitching back and forth. She couldn't take it anymore and one of her hands reached out to rub one of his velvety, soft ears. He stiffened at first, but after Kagome's careful ministration, he slowly calmed down and leaned his head into Kagome's hand. She got bolder and started rubbing both of his ears just like she did before when she was collecting herbs. (A/N: previous chapter) That's when she heard a deep rumble coming from Inuyasha, which she heard from his chest because she was leaning towards him while rubbing his ears. The deep rumble came out of him and Kagome realized that Inuyasha was purring again! All of a sudden, Inuyasha laid done and put his head on Kagome's lap, just like he did when he was human and poisoned by a spider demon. By this time, Kagome's face was so red that it could rival a tomato, but she kept on petting his ears. She was just about to tease him about his purring when she caught the look on his face. It was the calmest, most content look she ever saw on him and didn't have the heart to disturb him. She kept looking at his face when she noticed Inuyasha sniffing at her, lightly so she wouldn't notice it and if she weren't observing him, she wouldn't have noticed it. She noted that after taking in her scent, a lazy, yet content smile appeared on Inuyasha and Kagome couldn't have been happier to see that smile because she knew she was the cause of it and that Inuyasha rarely smiled, so it was a sort of gift to her, in which she was grateful.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Inuyasha couldn't have been happier! Kagome had started rubbing his ears, though he tensed up first, but then he had got into it. He couldn't help himself and let out a content dog growl and settled himself on Kagome's lap. He couldn't help but take in her wonderful scent. 'Mmmmm......lavender and something I love, Kagome's unique scent.' He hoped Kagome didn't notice him taking in her scent, but her scent put a familiar feeling across him. He felt peaceful and calm. Her scent always did that to him. No matter how hard Inuyasha tried to deny it, it always calmed him down. A lazy, yet content smile broke out across his face and he finally relaxes, the first time in a long time.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The two stayed like that until they both unconsciously fell asleep. They wake up to a bunch of noise coming from outside the hut and the noise indicated that it was Sango and Miroku, the clue being the sound of a slap. The two got up from their spot facing away from each other, their faces bright red from noticing their position in how they woke up. They were in the same position, but somehow Inuyasha had turned his face and nuzzled into Kagome's stomach and had his arms around her waist too. Kagome had one of her hands cradling his head to her stomach and the other was placed on his back, since he was sleeping sideways because of his head nuzzling Kagome.  
  
Kagome, trying to get rid of the blush, started making dinner while the others trudged into the hut, since it was past evening. Shippo told everyone when they were there that Rin had already left with Sesshomaru and would visit soon. They quickly finished dinner and settled for a quiet night and a nice, peaceful sleep.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A/N: FLUFF ATTACK!!! @_@ That was one of my fav. Chapter, don't you agree? LOL! ^_~ Well review to let me know what you think. If you have any suggestions, feel free to add them too when you review!  
  
R & R PLEASE!  
  
P.S. Any Beyblade fans, check out my other story THE SEARCH FOR THE KEEPER and review on that. THANX!  
  
Ja ne 


	5. Bad Habits Die Hard

A/N: Sorry for the long wait, I had *gasp* EXAMS!!!!! But now I'm back! So enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: Sadly to say, I don't own Inuyasha  
  
Review Responses:  
  
MoRoN: Here you go, enjoy the next chapter and thanks for the review!  
  
Chibi Senshi of Saturn: o_o.........I don't think I want to get on your bad side, so here's the next chapter! LOL  
  
LYNN: Thanks for liking my story and reviewing all four chapters! Here's the next chapter for your enjoyment! ^_^  
  
SUGAR03: I know, why can't guys be nice, there are too many Mirokus in the world! O_O Thanks for the reviews.  
  
Vino-chan: Really! This is really your favourite English fanfiction! I feel so honoured and giddy.........LOL. I know I tried to write in a way that everyone from all ages would understand. Review again and tell me how I'm doing! And merci again! (I took French for five years, so I know a little; I haven't really met a person who was actually French. Where are you from? Quebec, France, etc.)  
  
HanyouGal: Thanks for the complement, here's the next chapter!  
  
Kawaii Houshi: I'm glad you like the story and don't worry I'll never give up on it! I know I love the ear-rubbing thing too. Enjoy the next chapter.  
  
Silvertensai: Thanks for the review. I know, I wanted them to be mature in this fic, than childish. I makes them more real after all they've been through together! Review again!  
  
Cookie6: Thanks for reviewing again! Don't worry, Sess will be back soon, maybe next chapter or so! How's that? I gotta please my Sess fans out there too. ^_^  
  
Hijacker: Jig, LOL, I know I laughed when I wrote that. He can't tell her how he feels just yet 'cause he scared of rejection and another reason which will be explained in the next couple of chapters, so if you want to know, review for me to update! Also, thanks for reviewing again!  
  
Phew, lots of review, I feel so loved! ^_~ LOL Thanks a lot for all your reviews, it motivates me to know people actually like this fic.  
  
Translation:  
  
Miko: priestess  
  
Hanyou: half-human, half-demon  
  
Jii-chan: grand-father  
  
Nee-san: older sister  
  
Baka: idiot  
  
Osuwari: sit command that Kagome says to subdue him  
  
Tetsusaiga: The name of Inuyasha's sword, for those who don't know. ^_^  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Chapter 5: Bad Habits Die Hard  
  
Inuyasha woke up by the sunrays beating down on him from above while he slept on a tree near the village. He had decided to sleep in a tree and not in the hut because of Kagome. He didn't know if he could handle himself any longer with Kagome so near and her scent lulling him to sleep. However, he also was afraid that she would notice that one of her pictures was missing. But, in the end, she didn't find out and he even fell asleep in the tree. He cursed himself out-loud. He knew he calmed down whenever Kagome was near, because then he knew she was safe.  
  
He stalked over to the hut, but he knew something was wrong. Then it hit him like a tidal wave. Kagome's scent was missing. He ran the rest of the way and burst into the hut.  
  
"Where's Kagome?" He nearly shouted at the rest of the group that was preparing for breakfast.  
  
"She left to go home for a couple of days, just a second ago to collect more supplies." Miroku calmly stated at the enraged hanyou.  
  
Inuyasha growled at them and stormed out of the hut before leaping into the trees and making his way to the Bone Eater's Well. He spotted Kagome sitting down on the well with her feet dangling into the well, just ready to jump.  
  
"KAGOME!" Inuyasha shouted at her. She turned towards him with a shocked look and then a smile crept onto her face making Inuyasha almost want to forgive her, the keyword being almost. He stomped towards her until he was directly in front of her. He pulled her up so she was standing on her feet and he crossed his arms and glared down at the miko in front of him.  
  
"Hey, I was going to tell you, but when I found you, you were sleeping so peacefully, that I didn't want to disturb you." She told him.  
  
"Feh!" He snorted at her. "You aren't going back for a couple of days, WE'LL get the supplies and be back in an hour."  
  
"Inuyasha! I'm not going to see my family for some time now, since you probably won't let me go back regularly and I don't want to wear my school uniform anymore." She yelled out making Inuyasha's ears flattened against his skull.  
  
"I don't care!" He shouted back, trying to pick her up and take her back to the village.  
  
"OSUWARI!" She screamed out as Inuyasha pummelled towards the ground.  
  
"WENCH!" He yelled out before he had time to think. As soon as it was out, he regretted it. He turned his head towards Kagome to see her teary eyes.  
  
"Kagome! I'm........." He began, struggling against the rosary.  
  
"Save it Inuyasha!" She shouted before she jumped into the well.  
  
Inuyasha got up after the spell wore away and looked towards the well. He crawled over until he was facing into the depth of the well. A pained look crossed his face until a scowl replaced it. Suddenly, Inuyasha whammed his head on the edge of the well repeatedly.  
  
"Stupid, baka, shit-head, bastard.........." He cursed himself repeatedly until he was dazed. He rested himself against the well, his back to it as he stared up at the cloudless sky above. He pulled the picture of Kagome out of his haori and admired it.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Inuyasha's POV  
  
'I'm so stupid. I can't believe I actually said that. I guess the saying that Kagome says sometime is true, 'Bad habits die hard.' But I haven't said that to her in over a year and she hasn't 'sit' me in a long time too. So, it's her fault to begin with.'  
  
'.....................'  
  
'What am I saying, it was my fault. I was being selfish! Since we became good friends, whenever she needed to go home I would let her, so why all of a sudden did I not want her to leave? Is it that it hasn't been even a day since I saw her? I mean, she just got back.........'  
  
'But what she said was true. Since she doesn't have to go to that sc- h-ool thing anymore, she'll be staying here longer and won't see her family in weeks. I should apologize. She already cries for me, I don't want to be the person who makes her cry by saying stuff to her. Ya, that's what I'll do.'  
  
I stood up and placed her picture delicately in my red haori. I glanced back into the woods wondering if I should tell the others where I am going, but shrugged it off. They probably ALREADY knew where I'm going. Bunch of lousy, good for nothing friends.  
  
I turn back towards the well and jump in hoping MY Kagome would forgive me, that and hope she wasn't crying, which was a hopeless wish.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Normal POV  
  
As soon as Kagome reached the security of her room, she locked the door and cried into her pillow. She couldn't believe Inuyasha had said that. She knew he didn't really mean it, after all she knew bad habits died hard. However, it still hurt when he said that. By this time, she had stopped crying and was staring at the bedroom ceiling.  
  
She loved him, she knew that, but she wouldn't tell him because he loved Kikyo and she didn't want to ruin their friendship. She had made a promise to follow him and to be with him and she wouldn't back down from it. She only hoped that Inuyasha didn't go to hell with Kikyo. She winced when she thought of that. But it suddenly dawned to her that they haven't been running into Kikyo lately. It had been many months since they all last seen her.  
  
Come to think of it, when they did meet her those many months ago, Inuyasha wasn't his usual 'Oh Kikyo' self and chasing after her.  
  
"Maybe he doesn't love her anymore. Maybe he loves m............no, we're friends, but what about the ear petting?" Kagome murmured to herself, before a smile crept across her lips.  
  
Suddenly there came a little knock on her window. She knew it was Inuyasha, but she wasn't sure if she was ready to face him, even if he said it by accident. It still hurt her. The knocking continued until an unusual voice was heard.  
  
"Kagome?" A pained and regretful voice asked. Kagome gasped out-loud. She had never heard Inuyasha talk so much in pain. She pulled open her curtains and opened the window. She had to will herself not to cry. Inuyasha had a regretful look on his face. His eyes flashed with remorse, pain and regret and his white ears were flattened against his skull.  
  
Kagome flung herself onto Inuyasha, her arms around his neck in an embrace. Inuyasha stiffened at first in shock, before he returned the embrace, his arms going around Kagome's waist.  
  
"I'm sorry." Kagome whispered to the hanyou.  
  
"Sorry? I'm the one who should be sorry. I was being an ass again." Inuyasha's soft and gentle voice said to Kagome. She looked up into Inuyasha's golden eyes and saw relief flashing through his eyes. She smiled through her tears when all of a sudden a clawed hand gently wiped them away. They stayed like that for a couple of minutes in a comfortable silence until Inuyasha broke it.  
  
"I'm sorry for calling you that. I didn't mean it. I never really meant it the other times either." Inuyasha said.  
  
"I know Inuyasha, I forgive you." Kagome stated as she buried her face into his haori. Inuyasha blushed at her close proximity, but didn't say anything since it somehow felt right, her in his arms. Once Kagome realized the position she was in, she reluctantly left the warmth and stepped away staring intently at the floor, willing her blush to go away.  
  
A clawed hand reached up under her chin and lifted her head up to meet golden eyes. She lost her self under the gaze and looked into Inuyasha's soul. It was like she was finally home and that she felt she belonged there. His soul was battered, she knew, but she also knew she could fix it.  
  
Kagome suddenly noticed that her face, as well as Inuyasha's face, were getting close together.  
  
'He's gonna kiss me, my first kiss!' Kagome thought as she closed her eyes and leaned forward. Inuyasha mimicked his love as he bent down. Just as they were centimetres apart, there came a rattling of a doorknob, followed by disruptive knocking.  
  
"Nee-san! The door's locked. Mama says to come down for lunch. Nee- san did you hear ME?!" Kagome's now thirteen-year old brother, Souta, shouted in the hallway.  
  
Kagome managed to tear herself from Inuyasha and also managed to find her voice.  
  
"Ya, I'm coming!" She said to her brother nicely, though she was cursing to him in all the curses she knew, courtesy of Inuyasha himself. She stopped with her cursing in her head and realized that she had picked up his bad habit of cursing. She inwardly groaned at this. He had rubbed off on her, not that she minded though. She realised that it meant they had been with each other for a long time.  
  
She turned towards the hanyou to see his red face and realised what they almost did. Her face suddenly looked like a replica of a tomato.  
  
They didn't talk for a couple of minutes, each yelling at themselves mentally for being so stupid and trying that. They quietly prayed that the other wouldn't bring it up, not now while they were still embarrassed of almost being caught.  
  
If the door wasn't locked, Souta would've walked in on them.........well almost kissing and would have ran off to tell Ms. Higurashi and jii-chan.  
  
Kagome and Inuyasha didn't know what Kagome's mom would of done, but they knew what her jii-chan would of done.  
  
He would have 'tried' to exorcise Inuyasha and then Kagome, claiming that a demon had possessed her. Then he would 'try' to pull Inuyasha into the well and 'try' to seal it with his ofunda.  
  
They both grimaced at that thought as it crossed their minds. They looked at each other and noticed that they had a similar look on their faces. They busted out laughing at the realization.  
  
"Jii-chan." They both managed to say as they fell to the floor in their laughing fit.  
  
Once they had calmed down, they sat side-by-side, content that they weren't uncomfortable around each other after that weird experience. They knew that their friendship had suddenly changed somewhat, but didn't bother to discuss it now since they were happy. They would talk about it later, but not now.  
  
Kagome reluctantly got up. Inuyasha looked at her as she turned to him and held out her hand.  
  
"Let's go get some lunch!" She said cheerfully. He put his hand onto Kagome's and got up. They walked out of the room, their hands clasped together in companionship....................or more than companionship, one would say with the side looks they were giving each other when the other wasn't looking at each other.  
  
Once they had reached the dining table, they quickly let go, not to arouse any suspicion and panic, in the case of Kagome's jii-chan.  
  
They settled themselves to eat lunch, Kagome's jii-chan giving a grunt to Inuyasha. Ms. Higurashi was much warmer to Inuyasha's presence, greeting him kindly. Souta as usual was admiring his hero and was asking tonnes of question to the dog demon and to everyone's surprise, he answered them patiently, even jii-chan was in shock.  
  
Kagome couldn't help but smile proudly at her hanyou. She knew that after three years, Inuyasha thought of her family as his family. Her family had gotten to know him and greatly accepted him as part of the family, even jii-chan sometimes.  
  
Though jii-chan wouldn't say it to anyone, he admired the dog demon and was happy that he protected his granddaughter so well. He understood that Inuyasha had a rough childhood and wasn't looking for any pity, so he wasn't going to give him any. Plus, he had to make sure that Inuyasha was worthy of Kagome's affection and heart. Yes, though he was old and probably senile, he wasn't a complete fool. He knew that Kagome was in love with Inuyasha, so of course, being the man of the house, he had to find out if Inuyasha was worthy of Kagome's love. However he had to admit the hanyou was doing a good job. He always protected her when she was in danger and because of Inuyasha, his granddaughter had developed her miko powers greatly. He was happy to know that when he passed away, his granddaughter would be capable of taking care of the Sunset Shrine. He silently thanked the dog demon and went on about his lunch.  
  
After lunch was over Kagome and her mother went to do the dishes, their grandfather went to meditate, and Inuyasha was dragged by an enthusiastic teenage boy to play something called video games. So all in all, a normal occurrence in the Higurashi household.  
  
Inuyasha and Kagome decided to stay the night and go back tomorrow to resume their journey of collecting jewel shards. As they settled themselves for the night in Kagome's room, Kagome on the bed and Inuyasha by a nearby wall, they couldn't help but reflect on that almost kiss they had. They were both too shy to talk to the other about it and decided that they would deal with the consequences later.  
  
With that settled they got ready to sleep.  
  
"Goodnight Inuyasha." Kagome said to him, even though she couldn't see him. When there wasn't a response, she turned towards the wall with a frown on her face. Then ever so softly as she began drifting off to sleep, a voice spoke out quietly, though Kagome heard it as plain as day.  
  
"Goodnight Kagome."  
  
With that she fell into a blissful sleep, a smile playing at her lips.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Inuyasha's POV  
  
When her breathing evened out I knew she was fast asleep. I wondered if she heard me when I said goodnight, after all she was almost asleep by that time.  
  
I got up from the wall I was residing on with a pillow and blanket and silently crept towards Kagome. I leaned over her to see the smile that she had while she was sleeping. I couldn't help it if a smile graced my lips too. Figured that she heard me. I shook my head and gently stroked her hair as she slept. (A/N: Not in a weird way people, inu is not some crazy pervert) I noticed what I was doing and pulled back my hands as if I had burned them. If I had waked Kagome up, there would either have been hell to pay or an awkward silence. I really did not want that.  
  
I took one last look at her before dragging myself to the wall. I placed the pillow between my head and the wall and the blanket around my body. I fell asleep with a smile on my face, hugging my Tetsusaiga.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A/N: Hoped you enjoyed that! Watch out the next chapter or so for the return for Sesshoumaru and Rin! LOL! If anyone wants me to add some Sango and Miroku fluff, say in your review!  
  
If you have any suggestions, just add it in your review!  
  
R & R PLEASE!  
  
Reviews = updates  
  
Ja ne 


	6. Who's Your Daddy?

A/N: I know, I know! It's been like a month since I last updated, so I would like to say sorry! I've been busy with school and adjusting to the new semester, plus having hard subjects (Chemistry, Biology, Geometry and discrete Math, and English; all university prep. Courses; remember I'm in grade 12.) doesn't help.  
  
So to apologize, I made this chapter super long, and I mean super long. It's 16 pages typed without the author notes, review responses, and translations! So ENJOY!!!  
  
Thanks to Starry Nights for editing! ^_^  
  
REVIEW RESPONSES:  
  
Cokkie6: Thanks for reviewing again. I know, but don't worry, Kagome will teach him not to interrupt people, LOL! Don't worry, it'll just make their first REAL kiss so much sweeter.  
  
Chibi Senshi of Saturn: Thanks for the review and here's the next chapter.  
  
Battousi Girl: Ya I thought it was funny too. Thanks for the review, but I added a little MS, just a little though, the rest is Inu/Kag. The next chapter will have Sess/Rin.  
  
Vino-chan: Hey, how have you been doing? Montreal really? My sis has been there, but I haven't. I like French, it's ok and it is hard to learn. Thanks for the review and review again! I know about the kiss, but they will kiss, not telling when, but they will!  
  
anonymuose1: Sorry for the long wait! Thanks for the review, here's the next chapter.  
  
Translation:  
  
Miko: priestess  
  
Hanyou: half-human, half-demon  
  
Haori: top part of a kimono, well the red top of Inuyasha  
  
Sasori: Scorpion.........I really couldn't find a Japanese name for him! You won't know what I'm talking about until the end, just know it's a name.  
  
Jii-chan: grandfather * is it jii-chan or jii-san? Someone please tell me  
  
Houshi-sama: monk  
  
Hentai: pervert  
  
Goshinboku tree: God tree; the tree that Inuyasha was pinned to  
  
Youki: demonic energy  
  
Ki: spiritual energy  
  
"........." Talking  
  
'.........' Thoughts  
  
*~*~*~*~* Scene change, or some time later  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, maybe someday ^_^ I don't own Finding Nemo, Fast and The Furious or 2 Fast 2 Furious either.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Chapter 6: Who's your Daddy?  
  
Amber eyes slowly drifted open and came upon the familiar sight of his secret love's room. Inuyasha slowly got up from his position on the floor while rubbing his sleepy eyes. He turned towards the alarm clock, which he had learned about it from Kagome a year ago, to check the time. According to it, it was 9:00 in the morning. He realized he had slept more than usual when he didn't even do anything the day before to tire himself out. Though, as he turned to the still sleeping figure, he realized that he was always more calm and felt more safe in Kagome's time.  
  
He twitched his ears towards Kagome and listened to her deep breathing, indicating that she was still sleeping.  
  
The sweet smell of breakfast wafted through the closed door to tease at the hanyou's nose and he almost drooled at the wondrous smell as he walked to the door. He heard a creaking of springboards and turned towards the sound. A smile graced his lips as he saw his sleeping beauty waking up, still in half slumber as she stumbled out of bed. Inuyasha stood there as she staggered towards him, unaware of his presence until she crashed into him. Before she could fall, strong arms came around Kagome's waist.  
  
She slowly opened her eyes and came in contact with a smirking, amber- eyed hanyou.  
  
"Are you always this clumsy in the morning?" He asked in amusement at the sleepy girl.  
  
"Are you always this annoying in the morning?" She retorted back as he let go of her.  
  
"Nope." He said as Kagome stumbled out of the room, still in her cat- paws pyjamas, down towards the kitchen for breakfast with him following her. They both walked into the kitchen with Kagome's mother cooking breakfast. As they settled themselves down, Souta and jii-chan soon arriving after, they began to eat.  
  
"Kagome are you going back today, or are you staying?" Her mother asked the ebony haired girl.  
  
"Yes, I'm going today. I have been away for two weeks." She calmly replied. Inuyasha was more than surprised at her answer. After all, just yesterday she had said that she was staying in her time for a couple of days. He wondered what had managed to change her mind.  
  
Actually, though he wouldn't know it, it was him that changed Kagome's mind. After yesterday, Kagome realized how vulnerable Inuyasha could get and she never wanted to see him like that again. He had already suffered too much to last his lifetime. She realized that their friendship had deepened without either of them knowing it and it was too late to turn back, though Kagome didn't mind except that she might experience a heart break if Inuyasha left her for Kikyo. She didn't think she could live without him. She took a glance at him quietly eating his breakfast with table manners. She almost giggled at the sight. The almighty, untamed, wild Inuyasha eating dignified and with table manners. It was laughable really, but she had managed to teach him how to eat properly, though he would only eat like that in her time and not back in the Feudal Era. She thought he didn't want to ruin his reputation. However, she realized there was an exception and limit to his table manners. Whenever they had ramen, table manners, so to speak, flew out of the window and he slurped it up like a wild animal that hadn't eaten in months. She found the idea very amusing.  
  
Kagome was brought out of her thoughts of Inuyasha by her mother's voice.  
  
"All right! Be careful and be back in a couple of weeks." Mrs. Higurashi stated. All that she received was a confused look from all other members at the breakfast table.  
  
"Why? You never had a problem before about when Kagome comes back." Asked a confused jii-chan.  
  
"Oh! I wanted it to be a surprise, but your father's coming back in a couple of weeks." She received a happy cheer from her family as Kagome and Souta asked if she was telling the truth.  
  
Inuyasha sat still in his chair surprised at the unexpected news. He never knew Kagome had a Father. Where was he for the past three years and would he be all right about her time traveling? Inuyasha decided to be patient for once and ask Kagome in private.  
  
After breakfast was done, Kagome went to her room to bathe, get dressed, and gather her humungous backpack with all her supplies, while Inuyasha waited by the Goshinboku tree in her time.  
  
After her shower, Kagome went to her closet and put on a pair of blue low-rise jeans and her favourite shirt, a white t-shirt that had a picture of Dory (A/N: the blue fish with the voice of Ellen DeGeneres) from the movie "Finding Nemo", and it said "Just keep swimming" three times on the front and back of the shirt. It fitted her figure quite well.  
  
When she was dressed, she grabbed her heavy backpack, trudged downstairs, slipped into her sneakers, grabbed her bow and arrows, and called 'good-byes' to her family before she left. Once she was outside, she called to her ever-faithful friend, Inuyasha, and he swung the backpack onto his back with one arm.  
  
He took a good look at her and was very shocked at what he saw. He had always seen Kagome in her school uniforms and in skirts when she was in her time. He never had seen her in these types of clothes. As he looked her over from head to toe, a nervous and blushing Kagome waited patiently for him to finish.  
  
"Why are you wearing different clothes?" He asked, still looking at the unfamiliar clothes.  
  
"Well, school's done forever, so I never want to wear that uniform ever again. Besides, now I can move without any problems and it'll be easier to fight wearing this than that skirt. Plus, now nobody will look at me weirdly. I know that skirt was way to short for that time period."  
  
Inuyasha nodded his head in understanding. He hated it when they went to villages and some of the men there would stare at Kagome and her exposed legs. He nearly wanted to go over to them and gouge out their eyes, but he knew that would cause trouble.  
  
"They look good, but why is there a fish on your shirt?" He again asked.  
  
Kagome blushed at the rare compliment and answered his question.  
  
"That's Dory from the movie 'Finding Nemo.' Remember you watched it a couple of months ago with me and Souta when we rented it?"  
  
"Oh ya. That blue fish that said 'Just keep swimming'. It was a good movie, though that racing movie was better." Inuyasha said arrogantly.  
  
"You mean 'The Fast and Furious' and '2 Fast and 2 Furious'."  
  
"Yup."  
  
Over the years, Inuyasha had settled well in Kagome's time and basically knew everything about all the new technology, well, basic technology, as he couldn't really go near a computer without wanting to destroy it.  
  
They slowly walked to the well house in silence until Inuyasha decided to ask his question that he wanted to ask since breakfast.  
  
"I didn't know you had a father."  
  
"Oh, that's right, I never told you."  
  
"Feh!"  
  
"You probably thought he died or something, right?"  
  
"Um.........ya."  
  
"Well, before I met you, my dad had to leave to go to America to open up a new branch for his company."  
  
"Company?"  
  
"You know, a big.........."  
  
"Ya, I know what a company is, you told me before when we were walking past those big building when I was human that one time I came here a year ago." He interrupted anxiously.  
  
"Oh ya. Anyways, he's the co-president of the company. That means that there are two presidents that own the company and he's one of them. Got it?"  
  
"Ya."  
  
"Ok, Well, his company had decided to set up a branch in America. You know where that is right?"  
  
"Yes, over the ocean."  
  
"Yup. Well, he had to go there and he's been there for three years. I guess he's coming back now, since the company over there has started up and is doing fine. I can't wait to see him. He'll like you Inuyasha and you'll like him too!"  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"I'm positive. My dad is a relaxed, easy-going person. He'll probably think it's cool that I time travel. He'll probably want to come too." Kagome joked with a smile.  
  
Inuyasha smiled at Kagome's relaxed manner and hoped that what she said was true and her father would accept him. He wouldn't know what he would do if her father forbid her to go to the Feudal Era because he was a dirty half-breed. He always wondered why Kagome didn't care that he was one, but she accepted him for who he was, or he hoped that was what she thought of him. She had never told him of how she felt about him being a hanyou, though with the incident involving Kaguya, she had told him that she preferred him as a hanyou. He then thought about the kiss she gave him to stop him from becoming a full-demon. He still remembered her soft lips on his and always wondered if she kissed him to stop him from turning into a full-demon or if she kissed him because she wanted to. He was too embarrassed to ask her, but he longed to kiss her again, which he almost did last night, except that Souta had to interrupt them. There was always a next time, he thought as they reached the well.  
  
Inuyasha put his free arm that wasn't holding Kagome's bag and put it around her waist, pulling her close to him. With that done, he jumped into the well, a familiar tingling going through their bodies, indicating that they were passing through time. Once they reached the bottom, Inuyasha, with his load, jumped out of the well and onto the Forest floor.  
  
There waiting for them was the gang consisting of Shippo, Kirara, Sango, and Miroku. Shippo was asleep in the shade of a nearby tree with Kirara, while Miroku was knocked out with a bump on his head and Sango was polishing her Hiraikotsu. She looked up from her work and smiled at her friends as they made their way to her. Kagome greeted her friend while Inuyasha started kicking the monk to wake him up.  
  
"Get up you lech, we gotta get going." Inuyasha grunted out, waking his male companion. Miroku moaned as he came to consciousness. He slowly got up and dusted himself off. He looked calmly over to Sango and then turned around and started walking onto the trail heading west. Inuyasha and Kagome looked over to Sango, finding her face flushed. The hanyou and miko were shocked to see the demon exterminator blushing as she gathered up her things.  
  
"I think we missed something." Kagome whispered so that only Inuyasha could hear it with his keen hearing. He nodded his head in agreement as they both looked at the monk and the demon exterminator.  
  
"I'll find out what happened." Kagome again whispered so that only the hanyou heard. Inuyasha nodded his head in understanding before squeezing Kagome's hand and leaving to go after the monk to get anything out of him.  
  
As Kagome willed the blush to go away, she made her way to the two sleeping demons. As she crouched down she nudged the young fox demon, trying to get him to wake up.  
  
"Shippo?" She said as the kitsune began mumbling as he woke up. He sniffed the air and his eyes snapped open as he recognized the scent in front of him to be that of his adopted mother.  
  
"KAGOME!" He shouted as he launched himself at her. She fell back on her bottom and started giggling at the young kitsune's familiar behaviour. The others looked at the miko and the kitsune and smiled, even Inuyasha. Though he wouldn't admit it, he thought of the young kitsune as his own. He understood what Shippo went through by losing his parents and he was glad that Kagome and him had come upon Shippo before he lost his childish innocence like he had done when he had to live by himself. He again looked towards the two chatting and a thought crossed his mind that made his smile widen.  
  
'Kagome would make a great mother and Shippo would make a great older brother.' He thought as he turned to catch up to the monk. He wouldn't tell anyone of the thought that had crossed his mind. No, not anyone yet!  
  
When Sango was done gathering her things, she, Kagome, Shippo and Kirara made their way onto the trail that led west hoping to come upon Shikon shards.  
  
"So, Sango, what happened while Inuyasha and I were gone?" Kagome said after ten minutes of silence. Shippo had gotten up ahead and was now sitting on Inuyasha's right shoulder.  
  
"N-nothing h-happened..........I don't know what you're talking about." Sango stuttered as her face flamed up.  
  
"If you don't know what I am talking about, then how do you know nothing happened." Kagome said smirking a very Inuyasha-like smirk at her friend.  
  
"All right.........but don't you dare tell ANYONE!" Sango hissed out.  
  
"All right, I won't tell ANYONE!" Kagome said. 'I won't tell ANYONE, but I'll tell SOMEONE.' She thought.  
  
"Okay.........well houshi-sama and I were waiting for you two to come back right.........  
  
*~*~*~*~*FLASHBACK*~*~*~*~*  
  
Kirara and Shippo slept under the shade of a nearby tree as Sango polished her boomerang and Miroku stared at the well. The silence was comforting yet tense in a way, until it was broken.  
  
"Sango? Do you ever wonder about love?" Miroku said suddenly.  
  
"L-love?" Sango stammered, as a small blush appeared.  
  
"Did you ever notice that it comes upon us unexpected."  
  
"N-no."  
  
"Well it does. Love is mysterious, you never know who you fall in love with."  
  
"Houshi-sama, what are you getting at?" Sango asked suspiciously.  
  
"I've fallen in love, Sango." Miroku breathed out. Sango's face fell at his declaration.  
  
"Congratulations! Do I know her?" Sango said, masking her pain. She never told him, but she had fallen in love with him, even his lecherous ways. He had helped her forget about the pain of losing her family by making her always being irritated by him and trying to dodge his wandering hands. She always had to be alert around him. Though she fell in love with his serious and caring side, which he showed very little of, she always welcomed his lecherous ways to help her laugh or relax.  
  
"Yes, I think so." Miroku said vaguely, looking at Sango from the corner of his eyes. He knew Sango loved him, but he couldn't let that happen. No, it was too dangerous.  
  
"Is she from the village?" She asked again while her heart was slowly breaking.  
  
"Not really." He could never lie to Sango. He was in love, but to Sango and he wasn't going to tell her. She did know herself and she wasn't from Kaede's village, though they did stay there a lot.  
  
"So she's from one of the other villages on our travels."  
  
"Yes." He answered truthfully. Sango looked at the monk. He had turned away from her, then a sliver of hope reached into Sango's heart. She wasn't from Kaede's village but another village that Miroku had crossed in his travels with Inuyasha and the others. Maybe he was talking about her! Suddenly she felt a certain perverted monk's hand on her bottom. A twitch formed on Sango's head as she grabbed her Hiraikotsu and brought it down on the monk.  
  
"HENTAI!" She screamed as the monk fell unconscious.  
  
*~*~*~*~*END FLASHBACK*~*~*~*~*  
  
"..........and that's how you found us. I don't really know if he was talking about me or some other village girl. Is he in love with someone else? I don't know what I would do if he was in love with someone else." Sango whispered out. Kagome put an arm around her friend in a comforting way.  
  
"Don't worry I'll try to find something out. You two were meant to be." Kagome said to her friend.  
  
"I hope so. Now I know how it feels when the person your love is in love with someone else." Sango whispered so only Kagome heard. Kagome gave a sympathetic look before the words that Sango had said truly sunk in. She was talking about her and Inuyasha and how Inuyasha was in love with Kikyo when she, Kagome, was in love with him too. She bowed her head, her hair covering her eyes. Sango looked over at her and an alarmed look crossed her features.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry Kagome-chan, I didn't mean to remind you........." Sango said sincerely. Kagome just nodded her head and slowed her pace down so that she was walking at least six feet behind Sango. Sango understood that her friend needed some alone time, so she left her alone.  
  
Kagome was thinking about Inuyasha and Kikyo, but everything came back to what she thought about yesterday, not to mention what almost happened yesterday as well. Just like yesterday, she went over the last meeting with Kikyo. Last time she was there, Inuyasha didn't go with her when she asked him.  
  
'Come to think of it, he hasn't been paying attention to Kikyo for a while. He has stopped going after her whenever one of her soul-searching demons has come for him. Maybe he has moved on and really doesn't love her anymore, but I wonder what brought about this change. Was I right in what I said yesterday? Does he really love m.........no, don't get your hopes up. But what about what almost happened yesterday? He almost KISSED me yesterday, before we were interrupted by my brother, ......... I'm so gonna get him when I go home next time..........that's not the point, the point is that HE was the one to start the kiss, so maybe he does feel the same way as I do. I should tell him of my feelings, but when and how? Why do I have to be a coward when it comes to this? But girls are not meant to confess these feeling first, guys are! It's the same with getting married; guys propose and not girls, because we get too emotional! Why do I have to love him so much. A silly schoolgirl crush soon developed to this. I hope it's true love. I've always wanted that. It feels like it is, even if he doesn't return the feelings. I will tell him or I'll regret it for the rest of my life. Now that I made my decision, I just have to find the guts to say it. Harder than it seems I suppose.'  
  
Kagome looked back up to the rest of the group to see that the others were ahead of her by at least 20 metres. She hadn't realized that she was walking that slowly. She looked towards Inuyasha and saw that he had his head turned towards her and was slowing down as well so the others were ahead of him. He had a concerned look on his face and Kagome quickly smiled towards him, silently telling him that she was fine. She quickened her step so they were walking side by side. Inuyasha's concerned face was gone but was replaced with a curious and confused look. He turned towards Kagome to ask a question, but when he had turned, he was greeted by a giggling miko.  
  
"Sorry, but you looked too cute with that face, like a lost puppy." She giggled out as his ears drooped down and hugged his head. Inuyasha had a faint blush from the 'cute' comment before he remembered the second part.  
  
"Are you calling me a lost puppy?" He said in mock anger and lowly growled at her, a hint of mischief in his eyes.  
  
"No!" Kagome said innocently as her hand travelled to one of his fuzzy ears. He drew back before she touched him. Kagome pouted and turned away from him, stomping ahead of him. He easily caught up to her, when she hadn't even taken five steps.  
  
"So I found out what happened between Sango and Miroku." He said to the still fuming miko to calm her down. She turned back to him quickly, surprising him.  
  
"Great, now I could find what is really happeni.........Inuyasha, I sense some shards, three actually heading this way!" Kagome said as she stiffened. Inuyasha called to the others to get ready for a demon. Kagome secretly sent out her ki to see what kind of demon it was, but because of the corrupted Shikon shards, all she could manage to find out was that it wasn't in humanoid shape. However, the demon was huge.  
  
The ground began to shake and Inuyasha took hold of Kagome around her waist so she wouldn't fall. Kagome had a small blush that crept across her cheeks as he held her to his chest. Suddenly, out of the forest on the right of the path they were walking on crawled out a giant EARTHWORM demon, covered in slime.  
  
Now even though she was eighteen years old, Kagome was still afraid of worms, especially a giant one that was even scarier. The thought of that she was a miko who could purify the demon, flew out of her head as she screamed.  
  
"Oi! Kagome!" Inuyasha growled at her.  
  
"Gomen, but I hate worms!" She whispered as she clutched onto Inuyasha's haori.  
  
"Feh! Really Kagome, you've agone against powerful demons like Naraku, Kaguya, heck, even Sesshoumaru without fear and now you're telling me you're afraid of measly worms!?" He shouted.  
  
"SO!!!!!!!!!????" She shouted as Inuyasha smirked and got into a battled stance, the others already fighting.  
  
Sango was on a transformed Kirara, swinging her boomerang, trying to cut the worm. Miroku was down on the ground, swinging his staff and throwing ofundas to immobilize the worm, though it wasn't really working. From a safe distance, Shippo was sending out his 'foxfire' to the demon. Inuyasha settled Kagome's bag on the ground beside her, before he took out Tetsusaiga from its scabbard, transforming it into a huge fang and then lunged towards the demon. He swung his sword, managing to slice the demon, though it wasn't deep. It always dodged away before they got a perfect hit, plus its skin was tough.  
  
Kagome was slowly backing away from the worm as quietly as possible, her eyes shut in the process. She sensed the shards and realized that she had to help her friends. She opened her eyes and managed to see Sango being thrown off Kirara by the worm's tail and crashing into Miroku, who then took out Shippo who was behind him. Inuyasha shouted over to Kagome as it turned to him.  
  
"Where are the shards?" He shouted.  
  
"On his head!" She yelled back.  
  
"Which end is the head?" Kagome gave him a blank look as a sweat-drop formed on her head.  
  
"Um.........maybe the end that's not on the ground!?" She gasped out. He just smirked at her before he went after the worm. Kagome shook her head as she got her bow from her back and strung an arrow, ready to shoot.  
  
Inuyasha jumped over the worm. Before the worm had time to register what had happened, he brought his sword down on its head, slicing off the end of it. It rolled away and landed before Kagome's feet. She gave a shriek, before she unwillingly got out the three shards from half of the head, scraping it out with her arrow and cleaning them by pouring water over them using a water bottle that she got from her backpack. Once they were out, she picked them up, instantly purifying them and placed them in her pouch around her neck.  
  
As she took hold of her bow again, she looked up to see the hanyou still fighting. Before Inuyasha released the wind scar, the tail of the worm knocked him towards a tree. By this time, Sango, Miroku, Kirara, and Shippo were up too. Kagome pulled her arrow back to shoot the worm as Sango got ready to throw her boomerang and Inuyasha got ready to release the wind scar, though none noticed that the others were going to attack too. Miroku has his hand on his beads in case he had to suck it up if Sango failed. As Kagome released her purified arrow, Inuyasha released the wind scar and Sango threw her boomerang at the same instant. All three hit the demon almost at the same time and luckily for Sango, her boomerang didn't get destroyed with the demon since it went through the demon before the wind scar reached it. With the purified arrow glowing with miko energy mixing with the wind scar and striking the demon, it made the demon explode. It's destroyed body parts went flying through the battlefield landing on the various members of their group, actually only on one member of the group, the one who was afraid of worms.........  
  
Once the explosion died down, the demon was in ruin. Those that were standing looked at each other and then at their miko friend covered in demon guts. Poor Inuyasha was getting a little nauseous from the smell of blood.  
  
"Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!" Kagome whined as she started to pick out the demon parts from her. The others stifled a laugh at their distressed friend trying to get worm guts off of her.  
  
"Get it off! Yuck! I HATE WORMS!!!!" She shrieked.  
  
"Don't worry, there are hot springs in the forest. I smelled them before the demon attacked." Inuyasha managed to get out from his laughter. The others were already on the ground laughing their head off.  
  
Kagome grabbed her bath supplies, a towel, and a change in clothes before she stepped towards the forest where Inuyasha had indicated the location of the hot springs. The others walked after her and came upon a clearing, while Kagome walked through the clearing heading towards the hot springs. They decided to make camp there for a while and settled themselves down and built a fire. Sango, Miroku, and Shippo instantly fell asleep after a tiring battle. Inuyasha, who was resting on a tree got up and told Kirara to keep guard as he leaped into the forest.  
  
He landed by the hot springs and saw Kagome, her back to him, bathing. Kagome knew he was behind her, but didn't want him to ask her how she knew, so she slowly turned to the rock beside her that had shampoo on top of it. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw him with a look on him that she never saw in him before. She quickly dunked into the water, knowing she now had a good explanation on how she knew he was there and shrieked.  
  
"Inuyasha! What are you doing?" She stated, her face flushed as he still had that strange look on his face. Her voice snapped the hanyou out of his trance and he turned his back to her.  
  
"Happy? It's not like I haven't seen you like that before. " He said while hiding his blush at being caught looking at her in that manner. A manner that a certain houshi would be proud of. After that statement left his lips, his blush deepened as he recalled all the other times that he had seen her naked, though they hadn't affected him like he had been affected when he learned that he loved the miko. The miko in question was just as red as she recalled those times as well. One time she saw him naked when he had come to her and Souta had taught him how to take modern baths. He had come into her room covered in soapsuds complaining that the water was too hot. She was so embarrassed that she threw her garbage can, hairspray, in other words, anything she could get her hand on at him. She shook her head to clear her thoughts and got back on track.  
  
"Ya, but what are you doing here?" She asked.  
  
"To talk about Sango and Miroku! We won't get interrupted." He quickly lied as inappropriate images flashed through his mind. He willed them to go away and focused on his friends' problem.  
  
"What did he say?" Kagome said as she started to wash herself, seeing that Inuyasha had his back to her.  
  
"All he said was that he had to make Sango hate him. He couldn't let her get close to him, whatever that means." Inuyasha said.  
  
"Really? Well, whatever he's doing is sort of working. Sango feels that either Miroku is in love with someone else or her, though she really thinks that he loves someone else." Kagome stated, a puzzled look on her face. They both pondered this for a couple of seconds, before it dawned on them, well Kagome actually.  
  
"OH! He doesn't want Sango to get close to him, because he's afraid that he's going to die soon and doesn't want to leave her heartbroken." She told the hanyou.  
  
"Well, he's leaving her heartbroken anyways." He growled out.  
  
"Ya, but it'll hurt less than if they were together and admitted their feelings and then he died."  
  
"How would it be worse?"  
  
"It would be worse because then she would always wonder how their family would have been like, how many children they would have had, their lost love and other stuff. If he doesn't tell her, then she would be saved from an even bigger heartbreak since he hasn't made his feelings known."  
  
"OH! Is that a good thing?"  
  
"No Inuyasha! Miroku isn't going to die anytime soon. We'll kill Naraku before that time." Kagome said confidently. Inuyasha smirked at her answer and even though he had his back to her, he could still see how she would look at that same moment. Her hands would be curled into fists and settled on her hips and her face would be scrunched up and her eyebrows drawn together, making her look even cuter than she would normally look. If he had looked at her, he would have matched his image to how she looked perfectly. Her voice called him out of his thoughts.  
  
"Right Inuyasha?" She asked as she got out of the hot springs and got dressed.  
  
"Right! Of course we're gonna kill that bastard." He said arrogantly with his trademark smirk. Kagome came up behind him and lightly yanked on one of ears playfully.  
  
"All right dogboy!" She joked as she turned back to gather up her bath supplies. Suddenly she was lifted up from the ground, picked up bridal style and held right above the hot springs. She looked up to see the smirking hanyou.  
  
"Say you're sorry for calling me dogboy!" He growled playfully.  
  
"NEVER!" She bellowed out. Inuyasha made a show of almost dropping her, but she held on tight.  
  
"If I'm going down, I'm taking you with me." She stated. Inuyasha laughed as he settled her down on firm ground. Kagome just smiled as he laughed. She had gotten used to it, though the first year that they had travelled with each other, he had never laughed. When he had laughed the first time, she had thought he was sick or something and had stuck her thermometer into his mouth to check his temperature. When she realized that his laugh was for real, she was proud of herself because she had made him laugh and not anybody else. Now whenever he would laugh, that pride was still there telling her that it was she that first made him want to laugh and opened him up to laughter and amusement since his childhood.  
  
She gathered up her clothes that she had worn from her battled. She had cleaned them, but they were still drying so she settled upon herself that she would dry them by the fire once they got back to camp. She turned back to the hanyou to see him gazing at her with a softened look in his eyes. She had begun to realize that he had looked at her like that for some time. She had seen that look before, but she really couldn't remember where.  
  
They walked back in a comfortable silence. They walked into the camp to be greeted with three sleeping figures and a cat demon slowly drooping off as well. They both shared a laugh then at the sight before Inuyasha told the tired Kirara to go to sleep.  
  
With their companions sleeping on one side of the clearing, Inuyasha and Kagome settled themselves on the other side so that they wouldn't disturb their friends. As Kagome placed her wet clothes by the fire to dry, Inuyasha took his time to see what she was wearing. She had on black low- rise kaki pants and a red short-sleeved tank top that stopped when it met her kakis, he had to admit she looked really good. Her clothes hugged her in all the right places and he was almost drooling. However, the thing that intrigued him was what was on the shirt. On the front of the shirt was a picture of a dog, not only that, but the dog was white and had amber eyes.  
  
"It reminded me of you!" Kagome's voice interrupted him while he was staring at her chest. (A/N: Not in that way! LOL! Her shirt people!)  
  
"How so?" He answered hotly, a scowl on his face. "Do I remind you of a lost puppy that follows you around everywhere." He retorted.  
  
Kagome stepped back at his response. She looked down at her shirt, she wanted to cry and yell at him, but she knew better than that after three years. Maybe in the beginning when she didn't know that well she would have yelled at him for his response, but now she understood him. She knew he didn't like it when others teased him about being a dog and how dog were suppose to follow others and be sort of lap dogs. It was bad enough for him that Kouga called him 'dog-turd'.  
  
She walked to the hanyou who was sulking with his back to her facing away from the fire and facing the forest. She kneeled down behind him and placed her hands to hug him from behind. He stiffened at first, but then relaxed and leaned back towards her, while she leaned forward, her arms still around him. She knew that he could never stay mad at her for long. A smile graced her lips and she settled her forehead on his shoulder.  
  
"That's not what I meant. He reminded me of you because of your hair and eyes. Besides I think it's cute." She said as she noticed how he turned his head to look at her by the movement of his head. Her forehead was still on his shoulder, looking down at the ground so she wasn't looking at him. She knew he was smiling and trying to apologize. He was never that good at apologizing.  
  
"You don't have to apologize. I already know." She told him. She felt him nod and he got up, Kagome's arms sliding off him. Before she could question him, she was picked up bridal-style and lifted up into the tree by the hanyou. He settled himself on a branch, with his back to the base of the tree and Kagome in his lap. He draped his outer haori on top of Kagome and himself, well a red-faced Kagome actually, and settled down for the afternoon break. Underneath the haori, Inuyasha had wrapped his arms around Kagome's waist and leaned her back to his chest, with his chin on top of her head. Kagome sighed as she settled down and didn't say anything, thinking the spell would break if she did.  
  
She closed her eyes and leaned against her love, though he didn't know at the time, and settled for one night or afternoon as it was, to believe that he loved her and wanted to be with her. With that though she slipped off into a dreamful sleep.  
  
As her breathing got even Inuyasha looked down at his heart, well more likely the person who held his heart, body and soul. He gazed at her, the softened look upon his face again, just like the look he gave her at the hot springs. He tightened his hold on Kagome and leaned down to take in her scent, her unique scent with a trace of lavender. It always made his head spin. As he settled himself in the crook of her neck, he nuzzled her neck very lightly so he wouldn't disturb her. She shifted in her sleep and murmured something, which he caught with his superior hearing.  
  
"Inuyasha........." She murmured as she settled down with a content smile upon her face.  
  
Inuyasha had a full-blown smile or a smirk as some would say, when he heard this. He settled himself back at the crook of her neck, checked one more time for any danger before he fell promptly to sleep with HIS Kagome.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
One Week Later...............................................  
  
"Inuyasha can we stop for lunch?" The tired miko yelled out to the hanyou who was at least 50 feet in front of her.  
  
"NO! We gotta start looking for shards. It's been a week since we last got some!" The hanyou yelled back at the miko with a smirk gracing his face.  
  
"Oh really? Well how in the name of Kami are you going to do that, all mighty Inuyasha when the rest of us can HARDLY STAND UP!?" She retorted back. That wiped the smirk of his face as he stopped and looked at the rest of the group and not just Kagome. Sango was a little bit behind Kagome, Hiraikotsu on her back, Kirara at her heels, walking slowly, dragging her feet. She looked close to dropping right then and there. Miroku with an unconscious Shippo (He had already dropped dead a little while ago) also dragging his feet, his staff supporting him as he walked.  
  
Inuyasha smiled as he called for a break. The others sighed in relief as they settled down by the edge of the path that led to the west.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
One Hour Later..............................................  
  
"We might as well have lunch since we're here." Sango said as she got out the right utensils.  
  
"So what are we going to have for lunch Kagome?" Shippo asked as the others turned to their miko friend. She was turned away from them, her back stiff and her breathing laboured.  
  
"Kagome, what's wrong?" Inuyasha said worriedly as he settled himself behind her, his right hand reaching out to touch her right shoulder.  
  
"I sense shards, five of them coming this way. The demon is strong, it's in a humanoid shape." Kagome said as she tried to find out more about the demon. It's youki felt familiar.  
  
Inuyasha took a sniff of the air and started growling.  
  
"NARAKU!" He rumbled out. Kagome gave a gasp when he said this.  
  
"One of his detachments, a new one!" Kagome informed them as the others got ready for the battle that awaited.  
  
Suddenly a man stepped out of the forest, though he was far from a man. While his shape was that of a man, he had a scorpion tail and his arms and hands were pincers. His red eyes spoke volume to the gang, informing them that he was the one that they were after. His black hair was pulled back in a ponytail as he sneered at the group. His clothing consisted of a simple blue kimono.  
  
"Give us the shards and it'll be much easier!" Inuyasha shouted as he stood in front of Kagome and unsheathed Tetsusaiga and transformed it to the great fang.  
  
"I think not half-breed! I will take those shards as well as kill that miko of yours." He screeched out glaring at Kagome, while snapping his pincers.  
  
"Not on your life buddy." Inuyasha roared as he went after the scorpion man named Sasori. Miroku, Sango, and Kirara were behind him as they all attacked, while Shippo went behind a tree to seek refuge. Inuyasha dodged at their attacks and striked back with his own attacks, which the others blocked.  
  
This went on for the next couple of minutes, until the scorpion managed to unarm the monk. He quickly swung at Miroku. Before anybody knew what happened, the monk went sailing into a tree. An enraged Sango went after Sasori and that was her mistake, attacking in rage. He quickly ripped Haraikotsu from her and grabbed her in between his pincers and squeezed a little before he threw her into a tree. Blood was pouring from her wounds and Kagome looked on in horror. She grabbed her arrows, just in time to see the hanyou and Kirara receiving the same treatment. As the evil demon's eyes set on her, she pulled back her arrow and let loose, he quickly dodged the arrows, on account of the shards increasing his speed. He caught Kagome in pincers and snapped shut, blood began dripping from the wounds she received from the pincers.  
  
Kagome faintly heard the yells of Shippo and Inuyasha as she willed herself to raise the bow in her arms, which she hadn't let go in the pain. She grabbed an arrow from her quiver and pulled back and let loose at point blank range. It hit dead centre as she was released from the pincers. She heard Inuyasha call out the wind scar and destroyed the demon. All five shards landed close to the miko and she reached out to collect them in her right hand, purifying them instantly.  
  
Her vision was getting a little bit blurry from the blood loss, she needed to be bandaged up. A face blocked her vision. Instantly she knew who it was. It was Inuyasha with his amber coloured eyes. He looked down at her with a concerned face, yet his gaze had that softened look. Then, it hit her. Her father always looked at her mother like that, the look of undying love. With that thought racing through her mind, she fell into unconsciousness.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A/N: How was that! It was sort of a semi-cliffhanger. Please review to tell me! For all this Sess fans and Sess/Rin fans, stay tuned for the next chapter! Also, if anybody has a suggestion for Kagome's dad's name, feel free to tell me!  
  
Note: Was Sesshoumaru left or right arm cut off. I'm thinking it's the left arm. Also, where does he live? A den or palace? If anybody knows please tell me by either emailing me or put in your review. Thanks.  
  
R & R  
  
Ja ne 


	7. Startling Discoveries

A/N: Sorry for the long wait! * dodges random and rotten fruits* I know it's been a month, but I have a good reason! They are the spawn of Satan! MIDTERM! I had so many tests in the past couple weeks that could make any person have a nervous breakdown! But I'm back! Hopefully, I'll update more regularly, plus since it's the long weekend, it'll give me a chance to write as well, so enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: Nope, not even close to owning Inuyasha.  
  
Translations:  
  
youkai - demon  
  
hanyou – half-human, half-demon  
  
miko – priestess  
  
houshi-sama – monk  
  
kitsune – fox demon  
  
REVIEW RESPONSES:  
  
goukayoukai: o_O rocksers your socksers? Wow! COOL!! ^_^ Thanks for review, I hope you review again!  
  
vino-chan: Thanks I thought it was his left arm. Ya, my sis love the trip, she took a lot of pics. Montreal is a beautiful place! Oh and you're in luck! This has a little bit of Sess/Rin fluff in it. There will be more to come in the other chapters, just wait! Can't wait for your next review!  
  
chrisy12: Thanks for the answer! You think my story is the best! *blush* THANK-YOU! I hope you review again.  
  
rin90: It's called a cliffhanger and I know it was mean. Sorry and sorry for the long wait, damn midterms and ISU's, but now I'm back, so I hope you enjoy it. I'll try to update earlier. Review again!  
  
Chibi Senshi of Saturn: I'll try to keep off the cliffy's! ^_^ SANO.........I like it, how about a name for Kagome's mom! Review again.  
  
"........." speaking  
  
'.........' thoughts  
  
*~*~*~* scene change  
  
NOTE: The death of Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha's parents are based on what happened in the 3rd movie, but don't worry it's not a spoiler for the movie; I'm just using the names.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Last time on Freedom of Choice.......................................  
  
Kagome faintly heard the yells of Shippo and Inuyasha as she willed herself to raise the bow in her arms, which she hadn't let go in the pain. She grabbed an arrow from her quiver and pulled back and let loose at point blank range. It hit dead centre as she was released from the pincers. She heard Inuyasha call out the wind scar and destroyed the demon. All five shards landed close to the miko and she reached out to collect them in her right hand, purifying them instantly.  
  
Her vision was getting a little bit blurry from the blood loss; she needed to be bandaged up. A face blocked her vision. Instantly she knew who it was. It was Inuyasha with his amber coloured eyes. He looked down at her with a concerned face, yet his gaze had that softened look. Then, it hit her. Her father always looked at her mother like that, the look of undying love. With that thought racing through her mind, she fell into unconsciousness.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Chapter 7: Startling Discoveries  
  
A flash of silver and red could be seen racing through the forest at high speeds; some would say that hell was at its heels; in a way you could say it was true.  
  
Inuyasha raced through the forest, a bleeding Kagome in his arms. Kirara with Miroku, Shippo and an unconscious Sango were right behind him.  
  
He couldn't think about anything besides getting Kagome somewhere she could be treated and the closest place was his brother's palace. He looked down at the unconscious miko and almost cried out. He blamed himself for what happened to her.  
  
'If only I was faster and stronger I could have dealt with it, but I wasn't. I couldn't protect her like I had promised and it could cost her, her life. Why did I even think I could protect her? What everyone said in the past was true; I'm a stupid, weak half-breed that can't protect anyone. Kagome don't die on me, I don't know what I would do if I lost you, I love you too much. I promise that when you get better, I won't let you come back here, it's too dangerous. I'll take you back to your time. I don't want you to die, come on, hold on.' Inuyasha thought as he raced to his brother's place. All he wanted to do now was to sit on the forest floor hugging his love and crying, but that wouldn't be too helpful to Kagome.  
  
He raced out of the forest into a clearing to see the palace. He jumped over the gates and bounded towards the palace, passing the grassy hills to both sides of him. As he raced up the steps of the palace, the huge oak doors opened up to reveal the Lord of the Western Lands himself. Sesshoumaru looked upon his brother with a confused look on his face, his cool mask forgotten when he saw his brother covered in blood. Then he looked upon the heap in his brother's arms and realized it was the miko. He ushered them both in with Kirara and her occupants on her back.  
  
Sango was placed in one room, her injuries being taken care of by Miroku, while Kagome was placed in Inuyasha's old room where he used to stay at the palace when he was younger.  
  
Since Sango's injuries weren't that serious, they only needed bandaging. Sesshoumaru asked Jaken, who had shown up out of nowhere, to call upon Rin.  
  
As Sesshoumaru walked to his brother's room, he came upon him kneeling by the bed with Kagome on it who was still bleeding from the ordeal.  
  
Over the years, he had gotten used to the miko; after all, she was the first human who wasn't afraid of him. He even would call her a sister, though he wouldn't have told anyone that. She did after all, with Rin, reconstructed the relationship between the brothers who had hated each other after their father's death. Before he could dwell upon that thought, Rin came bursting into the room, some medical supplies in one bowl and hot water in another.  
  
"Inuyasha, you have to move so I can treat Kagome-oneesan." Rin said as she approached Inuyasha. He didn't make a movement to indicate that he noticed her, even when she nudged him. He just kept looking at Kagome, though his eyes were glazed over.  
  
Rin looked over to Sesshoumaru, a pleading look in her eyes, saying that if she didn't treat Kagome soon, she would die from blood loss. Sesshoumaru nodded his head and went to his brother, grabbed his right arm and made him stand up before he pushed him out into the hall and closed the door.  
  
When the door was closed, Rin set about to take Kagome's clothes off and treat her wounds. She was taught how to use healing medicines by Kagome and Kaede. She always had the necessary items in storage for emergency cases such as this, but all she could do was treat Kagome's wounds. It was up to Kagome to wake up or not. The will to survive was always a strong and unpredictable thing.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
As the door closed, Inuyasha slumped onto the ground, his back on the wall opposite of the door. He was lost in thought that he didn't hear his brother talking until he was kicked in the shin by Jaken.  
  
"Listen when Lord Sesshoumaru speaks, you ungrateful hanyou." His squeaky voice tore through Inuyasha's ears. Inuyasha took one look upon the toad before he smacked him down the marble covered hallway.  
  
"Glad to know that even while you're distressed, you are capable of bothering my vessel." Sesshoumaru's voice was heard. Inuyasha looked up to see his brother leaning on the opposite wall next to the doorway.  
  
"Feh." Inuyasha weakly said before turning his gaze upon the closed door.  
  
"Care to tell me what happened, dear brother."  
  
"Naraku."  
  
".........."  
  
"........."  
  
"Inuyasha........."  
  
"It was one of his detachments. Sasori was his name, a scorpion demon with three jewel shards in him too."  
  
"Mmmmm.........Naraku's detachments are strong enough by themselves. Who would know how strong they are with three jewel shards."  
  
"Ya, we were getting whooped, but Kagome came through in the end, but at a price. She shouldn't have done that!" Inuyasha lashed out angrily, banging his fist on the marble floor, creating a big dent in them.  
  
"Please Inuyasha, keep your anger in control and if Kagome were awake to see you, she would probably tell you that if she hadn't done anything, the others including yourself, would have been dead about now. Am I not correct?"  
  
"..................Ya, you're right, but still........."  
  
"Kagome is strong for a human. I'm pretty sure that she'll make it. After all, I would expect nothing less from my brother's mate." Sesshoumaru said, to lighten the mood as well as to amuse himself. Inuyasha's head shot up to look at his brother, a tinge of red could be seen on his cheeks.  
  
"W-what.........I d-don't know w-what y-your t-talking about?" Inuyasha stuttered, his face turning crimson while he said it.  
  
"You cannot hide your emotions from me dear brother. You look at her the way father looked at your mother."  
  
"Our mother." Inuyasha corrected him.  
  
"Yes, our mother." Sesshoumaru said as both brothers lapsed in thought as they remembered how they were reunited as brothers.  
  
Rin and Kagome had met up a year ago in a meadow and made up a plan about getting the brothers together. They decided to stay in the meadow and let the brothers think they were kidnapped when they wouldn't return by night. Once both brothers had come, Rin and Kagome weaseled the brothers to talk to each other by saying that they both would leave to Kagome's time and seal the well so no one could come back. That had both frightened the two dog demons and they both told the story.  
  
Inuyasha started hating his brother when he changed after their father and mother's death, Inutaisho and Izayoi. Before, they were really good brothers and hung out a lot, but after the death of their parents by the hands of Setsunano Takemaru, Sesshoumaru had changed and thrown him out. From that day forward, whenever Inuyasha had met up with his brother, a battle was always promised.  
  
However, the reasons that were behind Sesshoumaru's behaviour were quite interesting. After their parents had died, his aunt and uncle from his birth-mother's side had taken him in and taught him to hate humans and especially hate Inuyasha because he was a hanyou. Even though Sesshoumaru didn't want to think like that, in the end, the constant information was drilled into his head and manipulated his everyday tasks and thoughts. After they were through, the caring brother turned into a cold-hearted, human and hanyou hating bastard.  
  
With the stories finished and the memories rekindled, the brothers apologized for trying to kill the other. Even though it had taken some time to patch up their brotherhood bond. After a year, it was just like it was before their parents, but more mature. They only joked with each other when they were in the confinements of Sesshoumaru's palace. After all, they had many enemies and it wasn't wise to show a weakness to others.  
  
Inuyasha finished contemplating about how his brother and him patched things up and his eyes drifted to Sesshoumaru's left arm, or what was left of it after he, Inuyasha, had severed it. It suddenly occurred to him that he never apologized for cutting off his brother's arm.  
  
'Well, no time like the present.' Inuyasha thought.  
  
"Sorry about the arm, Sesshy." Inuyasha apologized, using his brother's childhood nickname. After all, at the age of five, who could say Sesshoumaru?  
  
"In your words Inu, 'Feh' – don't worry about it." Sesshoumaru said while using Inuyasha's childhood nickname that Sesshoumaru had given him to tease him.  
  
They shared a small chuckle at this, before their eyes drifted back to the closed door.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Miroku bandaged Sango's wounds as she winced ever so often on the disinfectant and when he wrapped the wounds. They weren't that deep, so Sango wasn't that hurt. Shippo was sitting by Sango's head, waiting until Miroku finished bandaging Sango, so he could inform the others that she was okay and to find out about Kagome.  
  
"Houshi-sama!" Sango hissed as Miroku applied the last bandaging a little too tightly.  
  
"Sorry Sango," Miroku said as he adjusted the bandaging on her right arm, a look of pure concentration abducting his usually calm, serene face.  
  
Sango looked up at the monk and blushed at how close he was. Miroku noticed the look and almost commented on how she had feelings for him when he remembered his plan to make Sango stop loving him. He leaned back away from Sango and then turned away from her to put away the medical supplies away. Sango's face fell when he turned his back away from her. Shippo noticed this, but chose not to comment to either Sango or Miroku since he was a little confused on what was happening.  
  
"You'll be fine, just don't move around a lot. We do not want your wounds to open now Lady Sango, do we?" Miroku said somberly to Sango, his back still turned away from her.  
  
'Lady Sango? He never calls me that, it's too formal! He really has fallen for someone else. No! That can't happen, I love him; no one can take him from me, no one! I'll fight whoever this woman is for Miroku's heart, this is not the end! I was and am not a quitter!' Sango thought determinedly as she formed some plans to get Miroku, even though it was very unlike her, but she didn't really care anymore about her pride as long as she got Miroku in the end.  
  
While Sango was lost in her thoughts, Miroku had finished cleaning up and turned towards Sango, his eyes weren't on her, but on the cute kitsune that was waiting patiently instead.  
  
"Shippo can you tell Inuyasha that Sango's fine and see how Kagome- sama is doing? I'm going into the kitchen to get some food for the three of us, all right?" Miroku said as he got up and dusted imaginary dust off his clothes.  
  
"Sure!" Shippo said as he ran off to find Inuyasha.  
  
"Well, I'll be right back. Lady Sango, it would be best if you rest." Miroku said as he walked out of the chamber without glancing back.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The two brothers sat opposite of each other on the marble hallway, each leaning against the wall in silence.  
  
Down the hallway, they heard the scurrying of feet on the marble hallway before it slowed down as the person, or the kitsune to be exact came into view. He calmly trotted to Inuyasha and situated himself on Inuyasha's right knee, who was sitting cross-legged. He looked up towards the dog demon who he thought of as his father in a way, though he wouldn't admit it to anyone, and clearly saw the distressed state he was in.  
  
"Sango's okay." Shippo's quiet voice echoed down the eerie hallway.  
  
Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru nodded at the information.  
  
"How's Kagome-mamma?" Shippo asked, tears at the edge of his eyes. The two dog demons looked abruptly at the sniffing fox. In all their own problems and distress, they both forgot about the orphaned kitsune who had found an adopted mother at the future miko.  
  
Inuyasha lifted up his right hand and settled it on Shippo's head as a sign of comfort. After all, he thought of the fox as a son of some sort, though he did bonk him on his head to keep his senses sharp and not get rusty. As his hand settled on the sniffling kitsune, the child fox flung himself at Inuyasha's chest and cried his eyes out for his mother. Inuyasha sighed and wrapped his right arm around the kitsune to offer comfort, which he gladly accepted.  
  
The hanyou turned towards his brother and saw a look that he hadn't seen since he was a pup, pride; pride in Inuyasha and how he handled himself with the kitsune.  
  
"You'll make a great father someday Inuyasha." Sesshoumaru whispered just loud enough so that Inuyasha could hear it over the crying Shippo. The fox was too traumatized to pick up on the comment by the Demon Lord.  
  
As Inuyasha flashed a small smile at his brother in appreciation, the door to Kagome's chamber opened. Sound ceased to exist as the two youkai and hanyou held their breath for what would Rin say. Rin took a glance at the three individuals and a sad, tired smile crept onto her lips.  
  
"She's fine now! I bandaged her up and now she's in a deep sleep. I think Kagome called it a coma. It's up to her if she wants to wake up. She might wake up in a week, month, or never; it's up to her." Rin said sadly as she looked upon the hanyou and the fox who looked crushed. She then glanced at the Demon Lord, in which he gave her a small smile and a nod to indicate she did a good job.  
  
"Kagome-mamma's strong. She'll wake up, she won't leave us all alone!" Shippo said out, puffing his chest out in pride of his mother. The others couldn't help but chuckle at the kitsune's antics.  
  
"Yea, she's too stubborn to give up." Inuyasha said as he stood up, Shippo bounding off to tell Sango and Miroku the news on Kagome.  
  
He then offered a thanks to Rin and walked into the room, closing the door as soon he was inside.  
  
When the door closed, Rin gave a sigh and started walking back to the storage room to put away the medical supplies when Sesshoumaru lifted her up bridal style. Her cheeks flamed red as she saw the smirk on the youkai.  
  
"Sesshoumaru?" Rin asked him.  
  
"You're tired Rin, I'm taking you to your room for rest"  
  
"I'm not tired!"  
  
"Do not lie to me Rin."  
  
"Okay, so maybe I am, but I can walk to my own room."  
  
"I know, but I would rather carry you there." Sesshoumaru said as Rin gave in to him and snuggled into his chest.  
  
"Sesshoumaru-sama........." She whispered as she drifted off to sleep, still clutching on the basket of medical herbs and supplies. The Youkai Lord beamed when she had said that. She rarely called him that nowadays, but when she did, it always brought a warm sensation through him.  
  
"Sleep well my love........." Sesshoumaru whispered as he kissed her forehead while walking her room.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
When Inuyasha had closed the door, he turned to walk to his old bed where a bandaged Kagome lay. She was wearing a light kimono that Rin had supplied, her torn and bloodied clothes gone with Rin to get cleaned and stitched up. A blanket was covering her up as she slept oblivious to what was going on around her. Inuyasha took a long look around his room. It was fairly big, a square in shape and the whitewashed walls had a tint of crimson in them, the carpet was a plush crème colour and opposite of the door was a window with a wide ledge for you to sit on. The right side of the room contained the gigantic bed and to the left was the dresser and closet made from fine wood.  
  
Inuyasha sat on the floor by the right side of the bed, the headboard touching the wall and night tables of some sort adorning both sides of the bed. He looked at Kagome who laid on the right side of the bed. He took her hand and stroked it with his thumb as he watched over her.  
  
"Kagome, you can't leave me here alone. Not after what I learned about you. I-I love you. I love you Kagome and you have to come back to me or I'll never forgive you. You were the first person who trusted me after my parent's death and you healed my heart from all the betrayals I had faced throughout my life. You can't leave me. We still have our whole lives to live. I would never be able to live without you. Come back to me Kagome........I love you........." Inuyasha whispered to Kagome as tears finally fell down his cheeks.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Darkness, only darkness could be seen and it stretched for all eternity. Kagome rocked back and forth, her knees drown up and her arms around them. Her face muffled by her knees. She didn't know where she was and didn't know what to do. She never had felt this helpless before, and she gladly admitted it that she hated it. Suddenly a voice broke out through the darkness, a light was seen in the darkness. Kagome didn't recognize the voice, but she felt herself being lifted out of the darkness and she was filled with warmth.  
  
'Kagome, you can't leave me here alone.'  
  
She was getting closer to the light.  
  
'I love you Kagome.'  
  
She still couldn't recognize the voice.  
  
'You can't leave me, we still have our lives to live.'  
  
The light's intensity increased, blinding Kagome in the process.  
  
'Come back to me Kagome.........I love you.........'  
  
Kagome heard this as she escaped the darkness. She was out of her a coma and now her mind waited until her body was rested to wake up. She fell asleep, the words of the strange voice she heard still going through her mind.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A/N: Well, how did you like it? Well, the chapter the plot really heats up. I'll give you a hint, Inu makes a decision that he thinks that is good for Kagome and it will prevent her from getting hurt again.  
  
R & R PLEASE  
  
Ja ne 


	8. Important Decisions

A/N: Yes! Only two weeks since I last updated! Right now, there isn't much going on, but in May I have too many projects and other stuff going on, so I'm trying to update for you guys. Don't worry though, I'll still update regularly! Anyways, ENJOY!  
  
REVIEW RESPONSES:  
  
swimchick1614: Thanks for the review. I'm a big fluff ball too, LOL! Hope you enjoy this chapter and review again.  
  
Mara Roberts: Thanks for all the advice you gave me and I'm editing my previous chapters too. I know his thoughts were long, but I couldn't help myself to cutting some of it out, but I still like it. His revelation to not become a full-demon was rushed? Really? Wow, never thought about it, maybe I might add more in the upcoming chapters. You know the story by Alandrem you told me about, I checked it out (loved it by the way), but I'm glad to say my story isn't leading toward that direction, so I'm safe. Oh ya, the part about her father was vague for a reason, the explanation comes in the chapters ahead. The part about 'mothers' was sort of confusing, but I thought I got the point out that Sess thought of Inu's mom as his own, but I guessed I didn't. I'll have to fix that. Also, MORE FLUFF AHEAD! Review again, I love the criticism  
  
Thief of Baghdad: Thanks for the review. Ya, fluff for all. Enjoy the chapter and review again.  
  
chrisy12: Thanks for reviewing again, you're one of my regulars and I enjoy reading your reviews. Here's the next chapter and tell me what you think!  
  
Naeko Kono: Thanks for the review. I'm glad that you want to keep reading this. Here's the next chapter and review again.  
  
chibi's the name: I'm glad you liked the vocabulary lesson ^_^. Enjoy the next chapter and review again.  
  
Chibi Senshi of Saturn: Thanks for reviewing again and don't stop reviewing! Thanks for the names, I'm gonna use them. I think Megumi for Kag's mom is nice. Thanks!  
  
vino-chan: Thanks for reviewing again! ^_^ I'm from Ontario, a city near Toronto. More Sess/Rin fluff ahead so enjoy and review!  
  
TRANSLATIONS:  
  
hanyou: half-demon  
  
miko: priestess  
  
-sama: respectable term for those that are important  
  
-chan: term for endearment; a friend  
  
imoudo: younger sister  
  
oneesan: younger sister  
  
Disclaimer: I wish, but sadly I don't own Inuyasha  
  
"........." speaking  
  
'.........' thoughts  
  
*~*~*~*~* change of scene  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Last time on Freedom of Choice................................................  
  
Darkness, only darkness could be seen and it stretched for all eternity. Kagome rocked back and forth, her knees drown up and her arms around them. Her face muffled by her knees. She didn't know where she was and didn't know what to do. She never had felt this helpless before, and she gladly admitted it that she hated it. Suddenly a voice broke out through the darkness, a light was seen in the darkness. Kagome recognized the voice, yet she couldn't place her finger on who it was, but she felt herself being lifted out of the darkness and she was filled with warmth.  
  
'Kagome, you can't leave me here alone.'  
  
She was getting closer to the light.  
  
'I love you Kagome.'  
  
She still couldn't recognize the voice.  
  
'You can't leave me, we still have our lives to live.'  
  
The light's intensity increased, blinding Kagome in the process.  
  
'Come back to me Kagome.........I love you.........'  
  
Kagome heard this as she escaped the darkness. She was out of her a coma and now her mind waited until her body was rested to wake up. She fell asleep, the words of the familiar voice she heard still going through her mind.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Chapter 8: Important Decisions  
  
In a lush garden full of many flowers from roses to bellflowers and daffodils to tulips, sat a young woman who looked about thirteen or fourteen. She was trimming and selecting some white and red roses to lavish the dreary palace behind her where she had lived since she was a young child following her Sesshoumaru-sama.  
  
Rin giggled at the thought. She hardly called Sesshoumaru 'Sesshoumaru-sama' anymore, though she would slip every now and then. She leaned over to the rose bush and clipped off a white rose and took off the thorns before she placed it with the other white and red roses in her basket. Rin knew for a fact that Kagome loved white roses because they were different. She had told her once that red roses were so predictable and common when showing love, so that was why she loved white roses. They were a unique way of showing one's love.  
  
Rin sighed as she took a glance behind her where she could clearly see the window of the room that Kagome resided in. It had been a week since she and the others had come and she had yet to wake up. Sango was moving around and completely healed. Kagome's wounds were closing up well enough and she was out of a coma, but her body still needed to rest from the huge amount of blood loss.  
  
As Rin stared at the window, she noticed that Inuyasha wasn't sitting by the window as he usually would do. That meant that the others had managed to take him to the dining hall for some food or that he was sitting on the bed closer to Kagome. Rin hoped that that he had gone to eat. They had to force him to eat because he didn't want to leave Kagome alone. He really loved her.  
  
Rin turned back to the rose bush before moving to pluck a red rose this time. As she placed it in her basket, a shadow loomed over her, blocking out the sun. She didn't even need to turn around to know who it was.  
  
"Good afternoon Sesshoumaru!" She said cheerfully without glancing back. Instead, she chose to pull out a stray weed that had grown around the rose bushes. She heard some shifting of materials before Sesshoumaru settled himself to the right of her.  
  
"Same to you Rin." He said, returning the greeting. He was nervous about something since every few seconds he shifted his eyes to Rin before glancing back at what was ahead of him, which were the rose bushes.  
  
Rin saw this and forced herself not to laugh out loud. Sesshoumaru was hardly the type to get nervous. It was a very rare yet hilarious to witness.  
  
"What is it, Sesshoumaru?" Rin asked to relieve him from the nervousness.  
  
"Well, as you know, your birthday is coming up soon." He said. Birthday was another thing that they both had learned from Kagome's time.  
  
"Yes." Rin said hesitantly, not knowing why it was important.  
  
"Well, you know that you would be turning the age of fourteen, if I'm not mistaken?"  
  
"No, you are not mistaken, Sesshoumaru."  
  
"Well.........what would you like as a present?" He asked covering up what he really wanted to ask her. Rin turned towards him, a delicate eyebrow quirked up in question at the hesitation in his voice when he had asked the question. However, he was facing ahead and not at her, so she shook it off.  
  
"Oh, I do not know? I have never even thought about it. I have been too worried over Kagome-oneesan." Rin explained thoughtfully while gathering her garden tools together. Rin heard him chuckling at her response.  
  
"She will be fine. I do not smell death on her, so she will make it. You all are worried over nothing." He said in amusement.  
  
"I know she will be fine, but you can't help it but worry when the people you love are hurt." Rin said as she started to get up. Sesshoumaru's right hand shot out and grabbed onto Rin's elbow and guided her to sit down again. Rin's face reflected that of a confused person as she stared at him, though his eyes were closed so he didn't see the look.  
  
"Rin, why did you try to help me when I was hurt those many years ago when I had lost a fight with my brother?" Sesshoumaru asked, still with his eyes closed. Rin's face flamed up and she turned her face away from him, in case he decided to open his eyes and look at her.  
  
"S-Sesshoumaru-sama........?" She stuttered.  
  
"You hardly call me that anymore too........." He said. A small smile crept towards Rin's lips as she stared at the man, or demon to be more precise, that she had fallen in love with. She hardly had the courage to tell him that. After all, why would a demon lord love a weak human? Rin knew she wasn't physically strong, even with the beatings she got as a kid from the villagers, but she had taken a lot mentally from the loss of her parents, her village, and even the death and resurrection of herself. She adored Sesshoumaru and being this close to him satisfied Rin; she didn't have to have any more than what she already had. She turned towards Sesshoumaru and removed his right hand from her elbow and instead entwined her hand in his. His eyes flew open in shock and he looked down at her in surprise. She gave him a soft smile before she spoke.  
  
"I'm not a child anymore Sesshoumaru." She told him, her hand still clasped in his.  
  
"I know.........you want to leave right? Get married to a human man. After all, it is your time." He said solemnly, trying to keep the bitterness away from his voice. His comment was answered with laughter, sweet laughter from Rin.  
  
"No, Sesshoumaru, I do not want to marry a human man or leave this place ('or you'). I am content right here with you." She declared, a small blush making itself known on her cheeks.  
  
Sesshoumaru looked down upon her in awe, which made her blush much more badly. A soft smile was on the demon lord as he gazed at the chocolate- eyed girl, or woman as some would say. Right then and there, all he wanted to do was kiss her, yet he couldn't. Yes, the great, fearless Sesshoumaru was scared of kissing the young maiden in front of him. He didn't want to be rejected or make her scared of him. So for now, he would admire her from afar, until he built enough courage to do what he truly wanted to do.  
  
In a way, he was like his brother. They both fell for a human girl, yet they were too afraid to tell them of their feelings, so alike.  
  
Sesshoumaru gave Rin's hand a squeeze before they let their hands unlock. They both stood up, Rin carrying her basket, and they started towards the castle, smiles still gracing their faces.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Inuyasha sat on the right side of Kagome on the bed. She was lying in the middle of the bed, still sleeping. She hadn't woken up for the past week, but Inuyasha knew she would make it through. She was a fighter after all. His fingers grazed her cheeks and he bent down to take in her scent. She was healthy and hopefully she would be awake soon. For the past couple of days, he was worried that she would come down with a fever, since her scent had traces of it, but he added an extra blanket and forced her take the liquid medicine for fever from her time, seeing as she wasn't awake to take those tablets. All week he had to force, so to speak, broth into her, so she wouldn't starve or get weak. Seeing as she was asleep or unconscious as some would say, getting the broth down wasn't hard.  
  
He sighed as he sat back, still gazing at her and cursing himself for being stupid. He couldn't let her get hurt ever again.  
  
'Never again. Never.' His mind was filled with this thought and it wouldn't leave his head.  
  
A small knock broke Inuyasha from his gazing. He called whoever it was to come in. Sango and Miroku made their way into the room and took a glance at their good friend. They sighed in relief at how good she looked. She wasn't pale anymore, but of her normal creamy colour.  
  
"You wanted to talk to us Inuyasha?" Miroku said to the hanyou.  
  
"Yes, but not here. Follow me." He said as he stepped through the doorway. They followed him down the hall and into another hallway and then another, before they stopped in front of a set of closed doors. He opened the doors and ushered the two into the room before going into the room himself and shutting the door behind.  
  
The room they had stepped in was some sort of conference room. A long low table took up most of the room, with cushions as seats. The crème coloured walls were decorated with tapestry from all over Japan. Above the head of the table was the only portrait in the whole room. It was a portrait of his father in his humanoid form. It was the only picture in the whole castle that depicted him in this form, whereas all the others were in his demon form.  
  
"Inuyasha, is that your father?" Sango asked as she stared at the portrait.  
  
"Yes," he said as a soft smile appeared as he thought of his childhood before his parents died, his happy childhood with his family. He snapped out of his memories and sat down where his father would have sat if he was alive, at the head of the table. The room was never used anymore since it wasn't as grand as the others, but Inuyasha always liked it because of the portrait. Sango and Miroku sat on both sides of him and waited patiently for him to tell them why he wanted to talk to them.  
  
"Well, you know how we get in a lot of fights, right?" They both nodded their heads in agreement.  
  
"It's what we have to do." Sango said.  
  
"Well, Kagome has never gotten hurt this bad before, heck, she hardly ever gets hurt, except for a few scrapes or bumps."  
  
"Yes, this is true. Kagome-sama doesn't usually get involve in the fights. Now we realize that she cannot........."  
  
"........fight." Sango finished for Miroku. He nodded his head in agreement.  
  
Inuyasha sighed as he prepared himself for what he had to say to his friends.  
  
"I know. The demons aren't gonna get any easier to defeat and they are more than likely to attack her since Naraku wants her dead." Inuyasha said.  
  
"What are you proposing Inuyasha? I mean we could get Kaede to train her, but that would take time away from capturing the last shards or stopping shard-powered demons from attacking villages. Also, even if we leave her there, the village would get attacked and there would be no one to protect the village against the hoards of demons that Naraku will send if he gets wind of this. He would do the same thing he did with my village!" Sango hissed out as she slammed her fist onto the table. It shook before it settled.  
  
"I know Sango, but I have another idea." Inuyasha said softly, giving Sango and Miroku the idea that they weren't going to like his idea.  
  
"What?" Miroku asked.  
  
"Well, I don't like the idea, but it would be the best for Kagome." He said  
  
"Just tell us!" Sango said.  
  
"We make Kagome go back in time with the shards she has and make her not come back." Inuyasha stated.  
  
"But she could always get back. From the story about the last time you pushed her down the well for her to stay there, you failed. Even without the shards, she came back." Sango said.  
  
"I know, but Miroku could seal the well so she can't come back until we're done with Naraku. Then we'll break the seal and she'll return. I'll tell her that we'll be back, but that we want to keep her safe. I know she'll kick and scream, but it's for her own good, right?" He asked his two friends. They nodded their heads in agreement.  
  
"But Inuyasha, you always fight better with Kagome-sama around. What if you can't fight as well?" Miroku asked.  
  
"That was when I knew I wasn't gonna see her ever again. I know she'll be back, so I'll be fighting with her still by my side in spirit." He said. His two friends smiled at him in understanding.  
  
"You love her. Don't you Inuyasha?" Sango asked softly. He turned towards her and looked at her straight in her eyes.  
  
"Yes, I love Kagome." He admitted finally to someone else beside himself. His two friends each flashed him a grin.  
  
"It's about time you admit it and all it took was her getting hurt." Miroku said  
  
"Actually.........I already had admitted it to myself that I was in love with her for about a couple of months and for the past year I was thinking that I might be in love with her." He finished, not looking at his friends.  
  
"INUYASHA!" They both shouted.  
  
"Feh!"  
  
"You never tell us anything." Miroku teased him and he was rewarded with a growl and a bonk on his head.  
  
"Hey, I'm not Shippo!" Miroku whined, rubbing his abused head.  
  
"OH KAMI! What is Shippo going to think about this! I mean he thinks of Kagome as his mother!" Sango screeched.  
  
"Relax, he already knows, I told him first and he agreed. After all, if he hadn't agreed, I wouldn't have told you guys." Inuyasha said, trying to get the ringing to stop from Sango's screeching.  
  
"Wow Inuyasha! You're getting soft." Miroku was rewarded with another growl and another bump on his head.  
  
"Feh! I'm not getting soft!" Shouted Inuyasha as Miroku clutched his head again and Sango laughed at her friends' behaviour.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A door opened and a lone figure stepped into a fully furnished room. The figure walked up to the occupied bed and stared down at the young miko who was still sleeping. The figure sat on the left side of the bed and placed a vase of white roses on the night table.  
  
Rin glanced back at Kagome and couldn't help but feel the sense of dread that crept up to her heart.  
  
"She should be awake by now." She mumbled as she got up from the bed and made her way to the door. Her hand was closing on the doorknob when a creaking sound filled the silent room. Rin turned around to face Kagome and saw her shifting in her bed, the first sign of movement she had made since she came here. Rin took a couple of steps closer and came to the conclusion that Kagome was waking up. She gave a squeal and rushed out of the room with the door still wide open, she looked to both sides of the hallway and couldn't see Inuyasha anywhere.  
  
"INUYASHA!" She yelled out. To the left of her she heard rapid footsteps coming towards her. In an instant, Inuyasha was in front of her, not to mention Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Kirara, and even Sesshoumaru.  
  
"What's wrong with Kagome?" They said in unison, some adding –chan, -sama, mama, or imoudo at the end of name. Rin rolled her eyes before settling them on Inuyasha.  
  
"She's waking up." Rin said and got away from the door so she wouldn't be run over by the hanyou. She shut the door after he went in to prevent the others from joining. They all gave her a perplexed look before she sighed at them.  
  
"Don't you think they need some time ALONE?" She said slowly. Their eyes widened in realisation at what Rin were doing. After all, this might be the time that they actually declare their love for each other, if Inuyasha was brave enough to do it that is. They knew Kagome wouldn't do it first because she thought that he was still in love with Kikyou, so it was up to Inuyasha to do it. Thus, they went on their ways of doing their own business, ignoring what was going on at the other side of the closed door.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Inuyasha rushed into the room and clearly heard the door closing behind him. He made his way to Kagome and sat on the right side of her. He leaned towards her saw her eyes flutter open and meet with his molten eyes. Her blue-grey eyes held a look of confusion and for a minute Inuyasha feared that she had hit her head when she fell and had forgotten about him. He remembered Kagome calling it amnesia. However, that thought flew out of his mind as one word passed through her lips and her eyes focused on his amber orbs in recognition.  
  
"Inuyasha........." She said hoarsely, seeing as she hadn't used her voice in a week.  
  
"Kagome........." He whispered as he gently leaned towards her and embraced her. She lifted up her arms and put them around his neck to return the embrace, never wanting to let go. They both stayed in that position for some time before they reluctantly separated.  
  
Inuyasha cradled Kagome in his arms while she rested her head on his chest. Their eyes stayed locked on one another, neither wanting to disturb the moment. Inuyasha unconsciously ran his right hand through Kagome's hair, his left hand still placed on her back. In response to Inuyasha's ministrations, Kagome tightened her hold on his haori seeing as her hands were placed on his chest and leaned more towards him.  
  
The moment was broken as Inuyasha rearranged Kagome so she sat in his lap sideways, both her legs going over on of his knee and the other knee resting on her back. He still had her cradled in his arms, but he had placed his chin on top of her head. Kagome sighed as she snuggled closer to him.  
  
"Kagome, never, ever, do that again!" He said in an angry, yet concerned voice.  
  
"I'm sorry Inuyasha, but if I didn't you........."  
  
"What would have been the point of saving me if you were killed in the process!" He cried out and pulling her away so he could look into her eyes.  
  
Tears lined the edges of Kagome's eyes as she stared at him. One lone tear trailed down her right cheek before Inuyasha brushed it away.  
  
"And what would have I done if you had died?" She whispered as tears glistened and fell from her eyes.  
  
Inuyasha had nothing to say to that. What she had said was true. She did the same thing that he would have done if she were in danger. For years, it was he that protected her, but no one had protected him. Now, here came Kagome and she came to protect him from danger. If it was possible, he had fallen deeper in love with her. Without another second to waste, he gathered her in his arms and dried her tears.  
  
"Don't cry Kagome. You know how I hate it when you cry." He said as he brushed the stray tears that were left on her face. She sniffed a couple of times before she snuggled close to him again. He wrapped his arms around her and took in her scent. He loved her scent.  
  
"I'm sorry Kagome. I understand now." He said as he rested his chin on her head again. She drew her arms around his chest and hugged him, letting him know by the gesture that she understood and forgave him as well.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A/N: Well I hope you enjoyed that! Next chapter Kagome remembers the look Inuyasha had given her before she fell unconscious and the voice's words as well as the others try to carry out their plan on Kagome! Will Kagome go for it? Well, you just have to wait and see!  
  
R &v R PLEASE!  
  
Ja ne 


	9. Following Through

AN: I know I know! dodges flying fruit, knives and bombs, and Sess's boa thing Wait I want the boa thing, oh well. I know it's been like two months since I last updated and I'm really sorry, but I have a good reason. In May, I had 3 ISU's (those are Independent study units or major projects that are worth like 10-20% of your final mark!) Plus I had tests, and I mean TESTS! Being a grade 12 student is hard, but I'm finally graduating! does a happy dance Ok, well where was I? Then in June I had exams, but I was going to post it up a week before exams, but my beta reader and I sort of thought the ending was rushed, so we extended it. Oh ya, I'm sorry again and here is your next chapter!  
  
Translations:  
  
youkai: demon  
  
miko: priestess  
  
houshi: monk  
  
-sama: respectable term  
  
inuyoukai: dog demon  
  
kitsune: fox demon  
  
Review responses  
  
chrisy12: thanxs for the review and hey if I ever make Kagome go back to her time, u know she'll do everything to get back! She's just as stubborn as dog boy! lol Hey, sorry for the long wait, but you read the above right? I'm really glad you like how I wrote Sesshoumaru in this story, plus, you'll like this chapter as well! Enjoy and review!  
  
swimchick1614: Ya it would be sad if she left, well, um.........don't' kill me I mean she will get back to the time, hehehe! Ya, Inu is getting soft, but he's in LOVE! Hope you like this chapter and review again!  
  
"........." talk  
  
'.........' thought  
  
scene change or time pass  
  
bows low "Because of the long wait, I would like to dedicate this chapter to **chrisy12** and **swimchick1614** for reviewing chapter 8. I know they have been dying for my next update, so enjoy and I'll try to update soon!

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Last time on Freedom Of Choice......................................................  
  
_ "Kagome, never, ever, do that again!" He said in an angry, yet concerned voice.  
  
"I'm sorry Inuyasha, but if I didn't you........."  
  
"What would have been the point of saving me if you were killed in the process!" He cried out and pulled her away so he could look into her eyes.  
  
Tears lined the edges of Kagome's eyes as she stared at him. One lone tear trailed down her right cheek before Inuyasha brushed it away.  
  
"And what would have I done if you had died?" She whispered as tears glistened and fell from her eyes.  
  
Inuyasha had nothing to say to that. What she had said was true. She did the same thing that he would have done if she were in danger. For years, it was he that protected her, but no one had protected him. Now, here came Kagome and she came to protect him from danger. If it was possible, he had fallen deeper in love with her. Without another second to waste, he gathered her in his arms and dried her tears.  
  
"Don't cry Kagome. You know how I hate it when you cry." He said as he brushed the stray tears that were left on her face. She sniffed a couple of times before she snuggled close to him again. He wrapped his arms around her and took in her scent. He loved her scent.  
  
"I'm sorry Kagome. I understand now." He said as he rested his chin on her head again. She drew her arms around his chest and hugged him, letting him know by the gesture that she understood and forgave him as well._

* * *

Chapter 9: Following Through  
  
Steam rose throughout the medium size room, giving off a comforting atmosphere. Water swished throughout the indoor hot springs as the figure sat leaning against the edge, resting her healing body. Kagome sat there reflecting on the past week.  
  
It had been a couple of days since Kagome had woken up. She was completely healed and her wounds were but small scars that would disappear in a week or so. Of course, with Inuyasha frequently hovering over her to see if she was all right and taking care of her, it wasn't a wonder that she didn't heal.  
  
It was Rin's birthday a few days ago. They had decorated the dining room up with streamers and balloons that Kagome had brought to the past, since they were going to stop by for her birthday before they were attacked. I guess it did all work out after all. They had a great time and Rin loved her gifts. Shippo had given her a picture that he drew of her, but she was a cat in that picture. Every since that episode with Kagome and Inuyasha arguing over Kouga and Shippo drawing them for Kaede, he had drawn all his character like that. Miroku had given her a hair clip from one of his leching rounds of 'exorcism'. Sango, being a demon exterminator, had given her an exquisite dagger with a couple of topaz jewels embroiled onto the handle, seeing as she didn't even have one weapon. Inuyasha, with the help of Kagome, had given her a kimono from the future. It was made from pure silk and was white in colour with a blue dragon winding around the kimono. No one knew what Sesshoumaru had given her; it was a private affair.  
  
Kagome had taken Rin away and taken her to Rin's room when she was giving her, the present.  
  
_FLASHBACK_  
  
_"What is it?" Rin said excitedly as she bounced on her bed, her orange and checkered kimono ruffling around her.  
  
"Open it and see!" Kagome said while placing the present in front of her and smothering her pale blue dress that she had on for the occasion that was thin strapped and went straight down to her knees. Rin gave a gasp as she gazed at the present covered in shiny blue wrapping paper. After she had her fill with the sight, she tore into the present and opened up the box. Inside was a pair of modern day clothes. Rin took out a pair of low- rise jeans that flared at the bottom. She then took out two tops. One was a short sleeve orange shirt that had a picture of chibi girl in a fighting pose and knocking out a chibi boy. It read, 'anything you can do I can do better!' (A/N: Don't own the phrase) The other shirt was a fitted black sleeveless shirt that hugged her curves. With the shirt was a knee length skirt that had a floral design to them.  
  
"Oh! I love them. I always wanted to wear some clothes from your time!" She exclaimed.  
  
"Well, only the best for my imoudo, right?" Kagome said, a smirk in place of her usual warm smile. Rin gave a side look at Kagome, getting very suspicious of her behaviour.  
  
"All right! What are you getting on about?" Rin questioned Kagome.  
  
"Well, if I am so-called going to be Inuyasha's mate soon, shouldn't I get better acquainted with my sister-in-law?"  
  
"S-sister–in-law?"  
  
"Yes, sister-in-law. I mean you and Sesshoumaru are going to be mated very soon." Kagome calmly said as she stared at the red and spluttering Rin.  
  
"M-mate? I'm not going to be Sesshoumaru's mate." She squeaked out, her face redder than a tomato.  
  
"You're so delusional Rin?" Kagome said and was met with a pillow in the face. She gave a laugh at Rin's pout before the pout was replaced with a smirk.  
  
"At least you admitted that you're going to be Inuyasha's mate." Rin said confidently with her arms crossed and her eyes shut. Kagome gave a gasp before throwing the pillow back at Rin and hitting her in the face. Rin quietly stood up and gently placed her gift on her dresser before sitting quietly back down on the bed. Kagome had taken back the stray pillow in case Rin had wanted to retaliate. Suddenly Rin grabbed another pillow on her bed and hit Kagome with it. A full-blown pillow fight ensued with screams and laughter filling throughout the room.  
  
Suddenly the two heard the creak of the door opening up and they stopped hitting each other, feathers strewn throughout the bed and floor, and their eyes glanced towards the door. There stood Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha with a look of amusement clearly written on their faces at the sight of the two young ladies covered in feathers. Rin and Kagome glanced back at each other and with a silent confirmation, they launched their pillows at the unsuspected inuyoukais, hitting them squarely in their faces and covering them in feathers. Kagome and Rin laughed out at the sight before them, nearly falling off the bed amidst their laughter. Japan's two most stubborn demons stood by the door with shock written over their faces. They looked like a pair of chickens. It truly was a sight to be seen. The two brothers looked at one another and with the confirmation of nodding their heads, they launched themselves at the still laughing and unsuspecting young ladies.  
  
Sesshoumaru picked up a stray pillow and gently, for him though, threw the pillow at Rin. It smacked her in the face making her fall off the bed. Her laughter had stopped and she stared wide-eyed at the demon before her with a pillow in his hands. She suddenly broke out in a smile.  
  
"I'll get you back for that Sesshoumaru!" She yelled out before she too picked up a pillow and smacked it at the Demon Lord. The two continued their playful pillow fight, feather gently surrounding them.  
  
Inuyasha meanwhile quietly walked up to Kagome with a pillow in his hands and smacked her with it. She gave a cry as she fell off the bed. Inuyasha gave a laugh at the young miko who slowly sat up from the floor, her hair covering her face. She gave a few sniffles that made Inuyasha's laughter die in his throat. He got down on all four and worriedly tried to see Kagome's face, though he wasn't very successful. Suddenly the side of his face was met with a pillow and he fell back onto his back. A laugh filled his head and he looked up at a smirking Kagome.  
  
"You were faking!" He yelled out at her.  
  
"HA! I know your weakness Inuyasha!" She said before Inuyasha launched a pillow at her. Just like the other two, they started their own playful pillow fight and amidst their fight, the feathers cascaded down towards them.  
_  
_END FLASHBACK  
_  
".........Sesshoumaru is getting soft. Rin you won't know what hit you when he tells you his feelings." Kagome murmured as she relaxed in the water.  
  
Right now, Kagome was in one of the indoor hot springs in the palace relaxing. The others had told her how she had fallen into a coma with the huge amount of blood loss, and when she was out of it, she stayed unconscious for a week.  
  
As she was resting in the hot springs, the steam drifting off the water and condensing in the air, Kagome couldn't help but feel that something was nagging at the back of her mind. She knew it was something that happened in the battle, but the battle was still fuzzy in her head. She remembered seeing the others down and Inuyasha getting knocked away. She also remembered picking up her bow and using her miko powers to destroy the creature before he killed Inuyasha. She had then picked up the shards.........  
  
"THE SHARDS!" She screamed out standing up out of the hot springs, the top half of her body meeting the moist air, while the bottom was still submerged in the warm water. She heard quickened footsteps coming towards the hot springs before Inuyasha burst through the doors. Kagome turned towards him, not taking in mind her nakedness, but more importantly what had happened to the shards.  
  
"Inuyasha, where are the shards that were in Sasori? I don't remember putting them in my vial!" Kagome cried out to him. She looked at him and saw that he was avoiding eye contact and his face was flushed.  
  
"Um.........Kagome?" He said turning his back towards her.  
  
"What is it Inuyasha? Why aren't you looking at me? What happened to the shards? Don't tell me you don't know where they are, you're always the one to remind me to take care of the shards and now you don't even know where they are?" She yelled at him. Inuyasha whirled around, a scowl in place of the blush.  
  
"FEH! Bitch, if your brain wasn't broken maybe you would know that you're NAKED! And I do know where your shards are! I put them in the vial when you were still recovering! I saw them clutched in your hands!" He yelled at her.  
  
Kagome dropped into the hot spring and turned around. Her face was red from the embarrassment and she chided herself for her forgetfulness.  
  
"Sorry Inuyasha." She apologized to the still agitated hanyou who was glaring at her back. She felt the glaring stop and she slowly peered over her shoulder to see the inuyoukai leaning against the wall with his eyes closed. She knew he wouldn't peek so she started to finish her bath. She noticed that he hadn't said anything about her apology and then she remembered what he called her.  
  
"Hey! You could at least forgive me. I can't really remember everything about the battle you know, so I can make a mistake! And I am not a BITCH!" She yelled at him. There, after three years she had said the word. Well actually, she had cursed. There was a first for everything.  
  
Inuyasha's molten eyes snapped open and looked at her in disbelief. Kagome's face was flushed when she had said the word 'bitch'.  
  
"Kagome.........you cursed." He said still with his amber eyes wide open. Kagome's face flushed even more and she slowly sunk further into the hot spring. It was a couple of minutes before they snapped out of their trance.  
  
"Um.........I forgive you." Inuyasha said awkwardly. Kagome nodded at his statement.  
  
"What about the.........bitch part." She whispered to him.  
  
"I didn't mean it as a curse. I AM an inuyoukai, so females are called bitches, remember?" He calmly said to her as if it was an everyday occurrence. She blushed as she remembered the day that he had explained to her why he sometimes called her a bitch.  
  
"Sorry, I forgot." She apologized to him. He nodded his head in understanding. A few seconds passed before the room was filled with Kagome's giggles.  
  
"What's wrong with you?" Inuyasha asked the hysterical miko.  
  
"Inuyasha, you need to think up more insults." She managed to get out of her giggles. He scoffed and glared at her as she tried to take a bath.  
  
"What the hell are you talking about?"  
  
"I meant the comment about my brain being broken, you've said that before." She said as her giggles died down. Inuyasha had a look of confusion on his face before his eyes lit up as he remembered the incident. A smirk slowly made its way to his lips.  
  
"Feh! Your brain was broken if you thought I was going to protect you." He teased Kagome. Kagome huffed and threw a stray bar of soap at him, in which he jumped out of the way laughing.  
  
"Why you!?" Kagome growled as she got a dark look in her eyes. This stopped Inuyasha in his tracks. He had recognized that look from a long time ago and was well aware of what was going to occur in a few seconds. He tensed up for the oncoming sit, but it didn't come. Instead, rich, soft laughter filled the indoor hot springs room. He looked over at the young woman in the water laughing and clutching onto the side of the hot spring so she wouldn't slip.  
  
"I can't believe you fell for that!" Kagome muffled her laughter. Inuyasha glared at her, though she hadn't noticed, before the glare turned into a look of mischief. Inuyasha quietly took a stray bucket from the corner of the hot spring containing cold water. He walked over to Kagome who was still laughing in the water, her head and shoulder showing, and dumped the cold water on top of her.  
  
"AHHHHHHHHHHH!" She screamed as the icy water made contacted with her flushed skin. Inuyasha howled with laughter as he saw the now shivering miko.  
  
"Feh! You deserved it!" Inuyasha said to her.  
  
"Keh! Now my head is cold and if I catch a cold it'll be your fault!" Responded Kagome.  
  
"Did you just say 'Keh'?" He asked.  
  
"Yes I did. It's a counterpart to your 'feh'."  
  
"Feh!" Inuyasha said before he grabbed Kagome's head and pulled it into the warm water. He let go as she came up spluttering water. Inuyasha looked on in amusement as Kagome scrubbed her eyes, getting the water out.  
  
"Inuyasha, what was that for?"  
  
"Woman, I was just trying to help." He told her, a smirk gracing his lips.  
  
"Helping how?"  
  
"Is your head cold now?"  
  
"No.........oh be quiet and let me finish my bath now!"  
  
"Nope!"  
  
"You know what, I hate you!"  
  
"I hate you too!"  
  
Silence filled the room after this was said as the two glared at one another. Then they both burst out laughing.  
  
"Thanks Inuyasha, I needed that laugh." Kagome gasped out.  
  
"Feh!" Inuyasha retorted as his laughter subsided.  
  
"Keh!" Kagome shot back before falling into a fit of giggles. The dog demon shook his head at her behaviour, a genuine smile lighting his face. He began making his way to the door so the young miko could finish her bath.  
  
"Are you well rested?" He asked out of the blue as he placed his hand on the doorknob.  
  
"Yes. Why?" Kagome asked.  
  
"Well, we should leave today if you want to make it to see your father." Kagome's eyes lit up at that statement.  
  
"Oh! I forgot! Thank-you Inuyasha. I will be ready in a while." She told him softly. She smiled at him as he turned his head back towards her. He offered her a small smile in return before he left. Once he was gone, Kagome went back to relaxing in the hot springs. She held the vial of the shikon shards gracefully in her hands as she studied them. Sure enough, there were the five extra shards that she had gotten from the previous fight, purified and intact. She scolded herself for not looking at the vial beforehand instead of screaming her head off, but after thinking about it for a moment, she didn't regret it. She was glad she screamed, because she had a pleasant moment with Inuyasha, even if it held an embarrassing moment as well. God, she loved him so much.  
  
As Kagome got out of the springs after cleaning herself up, there was still a kind of nagging feeling from before. She got into a pair of beige- coloured kapris with a sleeveless red top that read 'kawaii!'. She left the hot springs and quietly walked to her room, well, actually Inuyasha's room. She packed up everything that was strewn across the room that belonged to her. When she was done she flopped down and sank into the warm comfy bed. She grabbed a pillow that was above her head and lay there hugging the pillow as she tried to recall the fight. She knew that the rest of the gang was out of commission after Sasori tossed Sango aside, then she remembered Inuyasha being knocked over as well..........then it suddenly came back to her.  
  
_FLASHBACK  
_  
_Inuyasha dodged at their attacks and striked back with his own attacks, which the others blocked.  
  
This went on for the next couple of minutes, until the scorpion managed to unarm the monk. He quickly swung at Miroku. Before anybody knew what happened, the monk went sailing into a tree. An enraged Sango went after Sasori and that was her mistake, attacking in rage. He quickly ripped Hiraikotsu from her and grabbed her in between his pincers and squeezed a little before he threw her into a tree. Blood was pouring from her wounds and Kagome looked on in horror. She grabbed her arrows, just in time to see the hanyou and Kirara receiving the same treatment. As the evil demon's eyes set on her, she pulled back her arrow and let loose; he quickly dodged the arrows on account of the shards increasing his speed. He caught Kagome in his pincers and snapped shut; blood began dripping from the wounds she received from the pincers.  
  
Kagome faintly heard the yells of Shippo and Inuyasha as she willed herself to raise the bow in her arms, which she hadn't let go in the pain. She grabbed an arrow from her quiver and pulled back and let loose at point blank range. It hit dead centre as she was released from the pincers. She heard Inuyasha call out the wind scar and destroy the demon. All five shards landed close to the miko and she reached out to collect them in her right hand, purifying them instantly.  
  
Her vision was getting a little bit blurry from the blood loss; she needed to be bandaged up. A face blocked her vision. Instantly she knew who it was. It was Inuyasha with his amber coloured eyes. He looked down at her with a concerned face, yet his gaze had that softened look. Then, it hit her. Her father always looked at her mother like that, the look of undying love. With that thought racing through her mind, she fell into unconsciousness.  
_  
_END FLASHBACK_  
  
She remembered the look that he had given her. It was the look that was nagging her. Though laced with fear, it was the same look she had often seen in her father's eyes when he looked at her mother, the look of love. Was it true? Was Inuyasha truly in love with her? Kagome sighed as she clutched the pillow tighter. She wished it was true, but now was not the time to be thinking about this. She would find out if it was true, later. Now, she had to get ready as well as talk to a certain monk about a certain issue of avoidance.

* * *

As Inuyasha closed the door to the hot springs, leaving Kagome to finish her bath, he walked down through the maze of hallways until he reached the foyer. There, the rest of the gang was gathered waiting for him.  
  
"So, are we still going to go through with it?" Sango asked nervously, shifting her Hiraikotsu into a more comfortable position on her back and straightening her kimono.  
  
"Ya, but there might be a problem." Inuyasha responded.  
  
"What now? It's already going to be hard to tell Kagome to leave. What else could be wrong?" Shippo asked.  
  
"Her not listening to us and staying here." He explained. The others stilled at the statement as it dawned on them. Kagome was stubborn and if they told her that they wanted her to leave so she wouldn't get hurt, she would never listen to them. She would stay no matter what. The houshi's voice broke through the intense silence as he gave his say to the problem.  
  
"Well, we could always tell her that we don't want her anymore because she slows us down. Plus, we could tell her that this isn't her time and that she should leave. Yes, she would be mad, but we'll get her back once this is over." Miroku calmly spoke as the others bristled as the notion of lying to Kagome.  
  
"But what if she doesn't want to come back afterwards? I hate lying to Kagome." Sango said worriedly.  
  
"But we have to do it, even if we don't want to. Ok?" Inuyasha asked as the others agreed. "Then, when she's gone through the well, Miroku will seal it in case she tries to come back." Inuyasha finished. The others knew this was killing him, but they all had to be strong; it was for Kagome. They gathered the rest of their supplies as they heard footsteps echoing through the hallway towards them. Rin came into the foyer with a pout, followed by Sesshoumaru.  
  
"Are you really leaving?" Rin said, sadness creeping into her voice.  
  
"Yup, but we'll be back soon. Oh ya, I'm also taking my bike that I left here from the previous visit." Kagome said as she walked into the foyer from behind Sesshoumaru and Rin.  
  
"All right, and you better visit. We don't always want to be the ones that visit." Rin said warmly, her sadness disappearing from what Kagome had said. The others collected their belongings and headed out of the palace with Sesshoumaru and Rin following them behind.  
  
As they walked out of the gate waving back at the two, Rin and Sesshoumaru couldn't help but feel that the others were keeping something from them. Rin sighed, knowing that she wouldn't be able to do anything about this mysterious situation that the others didn't tell them about. She really thought that even Kagome didn't know what the others were going to do. She shrugged it off and turned to the Demon Lord. He was staring off at the distance where the others' figures could still be faintly seen. However, Rin knew that with his youkai sight, he could probably see them as clearly as if they were still in front of him. She smiled up at him and grabbed his hand, clasping them together. He looked down at the young woman and offered her a small smile. Rin had really softened him up in the past three years and she was glad that she had met him; she loved him after all, though he didn't know that.  
  
She turned towards the castle, her hand still clasped in his, and together they walked home.

**_

* * *

_**

**_Some time later.................._**  
  
The gang continued to make their way towards Kaede's village, walking silently throughout the path. Inuyasha, with Shippo on his right shoulder, led the way with Sango and Kirara following him. Behind her was Miroku lost in his thoughts and behind them all was Kagome walking and rolling her bike beside her happily and enjoying the scenery.  
  
Kagome looked away from the forest to the side off the path and looked ahead of her. There she saw Miroku and remembered that she had to talk to him about Sango. She recalled the conversation she and Inuyasha had about Miroku and Sango about his plan to make Sango hate him.  
  
_FLASHBACK_  
  
_"What did he say?" Kagome said as she started to wash herself, seeing that Inuyasha had his back to her.  
  
"All he said was that he had to make Sango hate him. He couldn't let her get close to him, whatever that means." Inuyasha said.  
  
"Really? Well, whatever his plan is sort of working. Sango feels that either Miroku is in love with someone else or her, though she really thinks that he loves someone else." Kagome stated, a puzzled look on her face. They both pondered this for a couple of seconds, before it dawned on them, well Kagome actually.  
  
"OH! He doesn't want Sango to get close to him, because he's afraid that he's going to die soon and doesn't want to leave her heartbroken." She told the hanyou.  
  
"Well, he's leaving her heartbroken anyways." He growled out.  
  
"Ya, but it'll hurt less than if they were together and admitted their feelings and then he died."  
  
"How would it be worse?"  
  
"It would be worse because then she would always wonder how their family would have been like, how many children they would have had, their lost love and other stuff. If he doesn't tell her, then she would be saved from an even bigger heartbreak since he hasn't made his feelings known."  
  
"OH! Is that a good thing?"  
  
"No Inuyasha! Miroku isn't going to die anytime soon. We'll kill Naraku before that time." Kagome said confidently.  
_  
_END FLASHBACK_  
  
She still believed that what Miroku was doing was wrong and that he shouldn't push Sango away. Even though it might hurt, he was hurting both Sango and him by breaking them apart.  
  
"Miroku?"  
  
"Yes, Kagome-sama?"  
  
"You know your plan involving Sango........."  
  
"I have no idea what you are talking about."  
  
"Oh, be quiet Miroku! I know you're trying to push Sango away." Kagome scolded him. He gave a sigh and his shoulder slumped.  
  
"Is it that obvious?"  
  
"Sort of, but that's not important. The important thing is that what you are doing is wrong. Have you ever heard of the phrase, 'it is better to have loved than to never have been loved at all?' Stopping yourself from loving Sango and depriving Sango from loving you is only hurting both of you."  
  
"But........."  
  
"No buts. Have you ever thought that by stopping yourself from loving another, it's giving Naraku extra power? By stopping yourself from loving because of the Wind Tunnel that Naraku gave you, it's like he's controlling your life. Are you a puppet, Miroku?" She finished off and left him gaping at the information as it shuttled throughout his brain.  
  
Kagome walked further up and began walking beside Inuyasha and Shippo and started humming. She looked at the hanyou and noticed that he hadn't acknowledged her presence. He was lost in his thoughts and by the look on his face they weren't pleasant. Kagome decided to leave him alone for once, seeing that if she disturbed him, he might start yelling at her and she was in too good of a mood to waste it on a fight.  
  
However, Inuyasha's thought was revolving around the miko that was walking beside him. He really didn't want her to leave him. After all, he did admit it to himself that he loved her, but it was for her safety. The worst part of the problem was that the group had to tell her that she was a burden to them. Inuyasha really didn't want to do that. He never liked lying to Kagome. That was why he either told her the truth or nothing at all. It was easier since he was never a good liar. He cringed at the thought of Kagome crying. He knew she would start crying and he didn't think that he would be able to handle it if she started crying.

_**

* * *

**_

_**That night..........**_  
  
They decided to stop at a clearing for the night and set up camp. As Kagome placed her bag down to rummage for some ramen, she couldn't help but feel that something was wrong. The others hadn't talk to her once, except for the talk that she had with Miroku. Also, unlike what they usually do, when she rode her bike, she didn't have Shippo for company. It was like they were all rejecting her or something. Kagome shook her head at the ridiculous idea. They were her friends after all. When she found the ramen, she looked up and saw Inuyasha coming into the clearing with a doe that he hunted. He placed it down and Sango immediately went to prepare it in front of the fire that Miroku and Shippo had made. Kagome had a puzzled look on her face. She thought that Inuyasha would love to have ramen after all those meals at Sesshoumaru's palace. She brushed it off and placed the ramen back into her bag. She went over to lend a hand to Sango, but Sango told her that she didn't need any help and placed the meat on the fire.  
  
After the meal was cooked, they ate in silence and went to sleep afterwards. Kagome looked over to see where Shippo was when she found him curled up beside Sango instead of with her. She settled into her sleeping bed and couldn't have felt more alone.

_**

* * *

**_

_**The next day............**_  
  
Kagome woke up to the smell of breakfast and rubbed her sleepy eyes. She looked by the fire and saw the rest of her friends up and eating breakfast. She couldn't help herself when the feeling of rejection loomed into her heart again. Her friends didn't even wake her up for breakfast. She knew it wasn't because of her injuries, since she was completely healed now. She got up and sat down by the fire and ate her breakfast silently, while the others talked to themselves on how long it would take to get to Kaede's village.  
  
Kagome looked over to Inuyasha who was talking with Miroku and couldn't help but feel that yesterday at the hot springs was a dream.  
  
'Maybe he was just acting like that and looking after me, so I could get better faster. Maybe I am a burden to them. I made them wait two, no three weeks at Sesshoumaru's place. We could have gone shard hunting in that time. I can fight, but they don't know that because I hide it. I can't let them know, we need something that Naraku doesn't know about and that's my powers.' However, no matter what she thought, only one word passed through her head over and over again.  
  
'Burden.'  
  
After some time of walking, none talking to Kagome, they reached the well and started to slow down as they neared it. Inuyasha took in a deep breath and let it out. After all, the 'show' was going to begin.  
  
"So I'll be back in a few days. I have to tell my dad about the time- travelling thing. Just in case if he doesn't believe me, I'll have him meet Inuyasha, right Inuyasha?" Kagome said as she looked at her friends. None of them were making eye contact and they were shuffling their feet. It was like they were hiding something. Kagome really didn't like the dreadful feeling she was getting.  
  
"Guys?"  
  
"Look Kagome-sama, we really think you shouldn't come around anymore. You're a burden to us, plus you don't even belong in this time." Miroku said.  
  
"Yes, Kagome, you need to stay in your time. It would be less distractive if we fight without having to constantly watching if you are in danger." Sango said. The words pierced Kagome's heart and she had to will herself from sobbing out.  
  
"If you guys are trying to protect me because I got hurt then........."  
  
"No Kagome. That was only one of the things that made us come to this conclusion. This is a dangerous place, a dangerous time and you don't belong here. You don't have to deal with this. You should go home." Inuyasha calmly said, even though in his mind he was denying everything he said.  
  
Kagome stared at them, standing a couple of feet in front of the well and with her friends in front of her. She couldn't believe what they had said. It was like they had ripped out her heart, stomped on it, and then placed the battered heart back in. All that went through her head were the thoughts of 'burden' and 'they think I am weak'. Her worst nightmare had come true.  
  
Then Kagome did something that shocked them. She picked up her bag and turned around. They gazed at her in astonishment as she walked towards the well and threw her bag into it, her back still to them. They had expected her to start crying and denying it, but she didn't. She just left without saying a word. Now they all felt terrible. Inuyasha felt worse than the others since he already felt terrible before. He could faintly smell salt water in the air, Kagome's tears that she was holding back. He understood that she didn't want to cry in front of them. All he wanted to do was go up to her and hold her.  
  
Kagome didn't look back at them or say anything. She felt betrayed and she wanted to go home before she started to cry. She jumped into the well and took the risk of glancing back up.  
  
There stood Inuyasha, looking at her with a look of remorse, guilt, and was that love? However, before she could question it, an intense blue light surrounded her and all she heard before she landed in her time was the faint whisper of:  
  
_ "I love you........."_

_

* * *

_A/N: Bet you guys didn't see that coming. I'll try to update soon, but next week is them exams, so don't bet on next week. I know it's sort of a cliffhanger and some might hate me now, but DON"T WORRY! I mean, in the end they do have to get together. Remember, this is also an action/adventure, so it's going to begin soon. Hehehehe, I can't wait! It's going to be so good. I hope you like this chapter, it's a little bit longer than what I normally have, but considering that I was so late with my update, I sort of make up for it, right? -- Or maybe not!  
  
Anyways, review if you guys want anything to happen, I might just consider putting it in my story.  
  
**IMPORTANT NOTICE:** I'm starting another Inuyasha story. It won't disrupt this one so don't worry. It's just that my cousin, neoblue, came up with this really good idea, so we're writing the story. It's an AU, I'll give you guys a summary before I start posting it up.  
  
R & R PLEASE!  
  
Ja ne!


	10. Emotions

Updated A/N: This version is the edited version by my beta reader and I only added a little thing about how Kagome could see the seal that Miroku put on the well, the family emblem and at the end of the chapter, I put a summary for my next story up which il be posted in a couple of days, that's about it.  
  
**IMPORTANT:** I have a question. How should demons in Kagome's time conceal themselves, a kitsune leaf, a necklace/amulet, or an incantation? If you have other ideas let me know! Thanks!

* * *

A/N: Hey guys, what's up! IMPORTANT!!! MY BETA READER is gone to Taiwan for the summer, so don't be mad if there are grammar problem, can you put it in your review so then I can change it! Thank you in advance.  
  
Another thing, if you guys have questions about Inuyasha, I'll be happily to answer them to the best of my abilities. I'm just here for you guys!   
  
HEY I LOVE YOU GUYS! I GOT OVER 50 REVIEWS FOR THIS STORY! THANK YOU EVERYBODY AND KEEP REVIEWING, I'M TRYING TO GET TO 100 NOW!  
  
**Translations:  
**  
Miko: priestess  
  
Hanyou: Half-demon, half-human  
  
If there's anything else, let me know. It's always the same words.  
  
**Review Responses:**  
  
**Kagome0820:** WOW! Thanks for reviewing and telling me I'm a great author! I'm giddy inside! I can't wait until you update soon! Hopefully you'll like this chapter and you'll just have to wait if they do get together, thought it is an INU/KAG, hint hint!  
  
**c-dog:** Ya I did put it to make the story interesting and I'm glad you liked my story! I hope you review again.  
  
**chrisy12:** Ya you reviewed again! Thanks for liking the chapter and I'm pretty sure that all your questions in your review will be answered in this chapter. Sorry it took some time, as you know my beta reader is gone, but I'll still continue even though there will be some grammar problems. Read on and review again! I know you'll like this chapter!  
  
**kagomeChan666:** Thanks for the review and I hope you review again! Well if you're wondering what Kagome is going to do, read the chapter and enjoy!  
  
**inuyasha1990:** Thanks for the review and about your question, read the chapter and find out. I think you'll get your answer there. Hope to hear from you again! Plus congrats on being my 50th reviewer!  
  
**swimchick1614**: Hello again! I know it was sad, but it makes the story more interesting. Oh don't worry, she tell Inu when she see him again. Right now I'm grinning evilly at the idea going around in my mind for that scene!

* * *

_**Last time of the Freedom Of Choice.........  
**  
Then Kagome did something that shocked them. She picked up her bag and turned around. They gazed at her in astonishment as she walked towards the well and threw her bag into it, her back still to them. They had expected her to start crying and denying it, but she didn't. She just left without saying a word. Now they all felt terrible. Inuyasha felt worse than the others since he already felt terrible before. He could faintly smell salt water in the air, Kagome's tears that she was holding back. He understood that she didn't want to cry in front of them. All he wanted to do was go up to her and hold her.  
  
Kagome didn't look back at them or say anything. She felt betrayed and she wanted to go home before she started to cry. She jumped into the well and took the risk of glancing back up.  
  
There stood Inuyasha, looking at her with a look of remorse, guilt, and was that love? However, before she could question it, an intense blue light surrounded her and all she heard before she landed in her time was the faint whisper of:  
  
"I love you........."___

* * *

** Chapter 10: Emotions  
**  
Kagome sat there in the well crying as what her friends had said to her ran through her head. She had never felt so betrayed in all her life. _'Was this what Inuyasha felt when Kikyo had betrayed him and sealed him on the God tree?'_ Kagome thought.  
  
She didn't know how long she was in there before she calmed herself and ran through what just happened to her in her head. It wasn't until she remembered when she had jumped through the well did the strange whisper came into her mind.  
  
".........but who said 'I love you?'" Kagome asked herself as she pondered in the well

* * *

**_In Feudal Era.........  
_**  
Inuyasha gazed down in the well, longing still lingering in his eyes. A tear traced down his cheek before it fell in and disappeared into the well, a blue glow surrounding it as it travelled 500 years into the future. The tear went unnoticed to the others around him. All that lingered in their mind was the disgust at what they did to their friend and the shock of what Inuyasha had said to Kagome so quietly that it would have been hard for her to hear.  
  
"I love you," Inuyasha repeated again and again as he gazed into the well. The others had never seen Inuyasha like this and they didn't know a way to approach him. Usually when he was upset, it was Kagome that comforted him in her own way.  
  
But there was no Kagome; there wasn't going to be a Kagome that was going to return unless the truth was told of what had happened today.  
  
Inuyasha was still mumbling his mantra of _'I love you'_ when a hand was placed on his right shoulder. Inuyasha turned his gaze from the well that he was kneeling in front of to the hand that was wrapped in cloth with a rosary bead encircling it.  
  
"Inuyasha?" Miroku asked his distraught friend with a worried look on his face. Inuyasha sighed and slowly got back on his feet.  
  
"Miroku, put a sealing ofuda on the well so Kagome can't return," He muttered before he turned towards the others and stood beside the whimpering Shippo. They all watched Miroku take out the appropriate seal that he had made. He mumbled a couple of mantras and placed the seal on the side of the well sealing it completely.  
  
"Inuyasha, did you mean that?" Sango asked the hanyou. They all knew what she was talking about. Inuyasha was never good with relating his feelings to others because of the life he had led. He had built a shell around himself and a wall that was as thick as concrete around his heart, so it was a surprise that he had told Kagome his feelings when she jumped down the well.  
  
"Yes, I do love her. When this is all done, I'll tell her for real," He told his friends. It brought a little hope to their hearts, knowing that one day they would see her again. Hopefully, she still would be there when they, or Inuyasha most likely, go to get her.  
  
"Well then, let's beat Naraku and get this over with!" Shouted Shippo. They all looked down at the tear-faced kitsune and smiled at him. They all knew that he considered Kagome to be his mother. To him, it was like losing another parent all over again. They all knew Shippo had a horrible childhood for someone as young as him. Inuyasha gazed down at the kitsune thinking about his predicament. In a way, Shippo and he were very much alike. They both had a hard childhood, but the difference was that Shippo had found friends that cared for him. Inuyasha knew that with Kagome gone, he would have to take care of the kitsune. In the three years that they had travelled together, he had grown attached to the trickster. Like his other friends, Shippo had accepted Inuyasha for what he was and didn't ridicule him of his blood. For that, he was eternally grateful to all of them.  
  
He picked up the kitsune and placed him on his shoulder. He wiped the tears away with his sleeve and forced out a smile for the kitsune.  
  
"Ya, let's beat the bastard." He said to him. The kitsune smiled at the declaration.  
  
"Then we could get Kagome!" Shippo told them, his tail swishing in excitement. Even if they knew Kagome would most likely be mad at them, maybe even hate them and forget about them, they still had to hold onto to the hope that she would still accept them and forgive them for what they did. They all had to hope.  
  
"Ya, so we could get Kagome," Inuyasha agreed to the kitsune's statement. Miroku, Sango and even Kirara gathered around the pair.  
  
"Then the rest of the journey and the defeat of Naraku is for Kagome also!" Sango declared to the group. Sure, they had their own reasons for going after Naraku, but one more reason had just been added to the list.  
  
Of course, Sango seeked out Naraku for revenge of what he did to her village as well as her family and taking away her brother Kohaku. Miroku needed Naraku dead for his revenge on what he did to his family as well as to seal the black hole in his hand before it consumed him. Inuyasha seeked out Naraku's blood for what he did to him over 50 years ago, 53 to be exact. He had put Kikyo and Inuyasha against one another, but Inuyasha had accepted that the reason was that he and Kikyo didn't trust one another. However, he didn't like being used, plus he did sort of promised Kikyo that he would seek revenge against Naraku so she could rest in peace. Inuyasha also had another reason for defeating Naraku. He wanted revenge for all the time Naraku had tried to put him and Kagome against one another to kill each other, although it never did work. Maybe it was because their bond was stronger than that of Kikyo and Inuyasha, but it was most likely that they trusted and cared for each other. However this could not be proven, even if it did make sense.  
  
"FOR KAGOME!" The group shouted in unison, while Kirara _'mewed'_ in agreement. They all took one last look at the well before turning back into the woods and making their way to Kaede's hut for some rest to prepare for another journey.  
  
Inuyasha, who was behind all the others, glanced back at the well where he had met his soul mate. _'Kagome, wait for me and know that I will always love you.'_

* * *

**_Present Time.........  
_**  
Kagome sat there, on the cold ground of the well, still contemplating the phrase over and over again in her head. She knew she had heard that voice somewhere before, somewhere that was surrounded in darkness. A blue glow flashed and a teardrop landed on Kagome's cheek. She gave a gasp and lifted her hand to collect the tear onto her finger. It had the warmth of Inuyasha radiating from it and that was when Kagome remembered the voice. It was the same voice that pulled her from the darkness when she was in a coma.  
  
**_FLASHBACK_**  
  
_Darkness, only darkness could be seen and it stretched for all eternity. Kagome rocked back and forth, her knees drown up and her arms around them. Her knees muffled her face. She didn't know where she was and didn't know what to do. She had never felt this helpless before, and she gladly admitted it that she hated it. Suddenly a voice broke out through the darkness, a light was seen. Kagome didn't recognize the voice, but she felt herself being lifted out of the darkness and she was filled with warmth.  
  
**'Kagome, you can't leave me here alone.'  
**  
She was getting closer to the light.  
  
** 'I love you Kagome.'**  
  
She still couldn't recognize the voice.  
  
**'You can't leave me, we still have our lives to live.'  
**  
The light's intensity increased, blinding Kagome in the process.  
  
**'Come back to me Kagome.........I love you.........'**  
  
Kagome heard this as she escaped the darkness. She was out of her a coma and now her mind waited until her body was rested to wake up. She fell asleep, the words of the strange voice she heard still going through her mind.  
  
**END FLASHBACK**  
_  
"It sounded like.........Inuyasha! Was he the one who helped me out of my coma? Did he mean it when he said that? If he meant it that meant what I had heard when I fell through the well was true. It was Inuyasha who had whispered it to me." Tears glided down her face at the new realization. She sobbed in happiness at this as well as sadness. She still didn't understand why he did this. _'If he loved me, why did he let me go through the well and tell me to stay here? The only time that he told me to stay in my time was when he had a fight with Sesshoumaru.........was that it? He didn't like the idea of Sesshoumaru almost hurting me. Now that I had finally gotten seriously hurt after three years of only bumps and scratches, he had a panic attack!'_ By this time, anger had pounded into her veins and the tears had stopped flowing down her cheeks. Kagome's eyes blazed in anger as she stood up in the bottom of the well.  
  
"That ass! He convinced the others to say all those things so I would leave and believe that they didn't want me around. They didn't want me hurt! If they told me to go, they knew I would disagree. They're all hypocrites. Don't they realize that when they get hurt, I want them all to come to my time and stay here so they would never get hurt? But do I do that? No, because I know that getting hurt is part of our mission. If they think that I will stay here, they get another thing coming! My miko powers have developed. Sure I don't know how to sword fight, but my miko powers can handle a lot. It's just that if I used my full power, Naraku will know just how powerful I am!" With her ranting done, Kagome grabbed her yellow bag and made her way up the ladder. She slipped the bag right back on and jumped back into the well.  
  
However, instead of the familiar tingly feeling she would usually get from time traveling, Kagome felt the cold ground hitting her feet. She looked back up and was met with the roof of the well house. Kagome stood there confused when the well wasn't working and gave a frustrated growl while she climbed back out. Her yellow bag slipped off her shoulders and touched the ground of the well house. The young miko walked around the well, trying to find what was wrong with it. Halfway around the well, she came upon an old and aged ofuda. From the writing on it, it was a sealing one, probably Miroku's.  
  
'_Must have placed it on the well when I went through. I mean it looks 500 years old since if anything was placed in the well there would happen here.'_ She smirked as she gazed at it. Kagome knew that she could destroy it easily. Her holy powers as a miko was stronger than that of Miroku's.  
  
However, instead of breaking the seal and going back into the well, Kagome stopped herself.  
  
_'If I went now, the others would still be there! They would find out about my powers and then they would try to seal me in my time again. I have to prove myself to them. I have to prove myself that I can fight!'_ Kagome thought as she picked up her bag and made her way out of the well house. She made up her mind that she would go back in a week or so, and prove herself to them that she could stay there without getting in trouble. While she was here, she would train herself with disguising her scent, so no one, not even Naraku, would know that she had returned back to the Feudal Era. All Naraku would know was that she wasn't travelling with Inuyasha anymore and since he didn't know about the well, she was safe.  
  
Halfway to her house, Kagome saw her brother, Souta, running out of their house with a big grin. The young miko smiled at him as he made his way to his sister. In the past three years, he turned from a shy ten-year- old to a spunky, up beat thirteen-year-old. Boy, the life of a teen!  
  
"Hey sis!" He said as he hugged her. He came up to her shoulders and his brown hair glistened in the sun as well as his brown eyes that he got from their mother. Today he was wearing baggy blue jeans and a black t- shirt that was very loose.  
  
"Jeez, Souta, what is it with teens today? Do you guys wear everything loose nowadays? Everything is barely just fitting you. What if your pants fell down? I certainly don't want to know what kind of boxers you are wearing!" Kagome teased him. He laughed at her and pulled her towards the house.  
  
"Come on. There's a surprise waiting for you in the living room!"  
  
"Surprise?" Kagome asked. He nodded as they went into their home. Kagome placed her bag by the stairs and slipped off her shoes and put on some house slippers. The two siblings made their way into the living room.  
  
Kagome gave a gasp at the sight in front of her. From all that was done to her, she had totally forgotten about her father and why the group was making their way to the well. There he sat on the couch, Sano Higurashi, with a content smile on his face as he looked at his eldest child. His ebony hair and blue-grey eyes, which Kagome had inherited, glistened as the sunlight poured into the room by a nearby living room window. Kagome's mother sat beside him, a happy smile adorning her face as she gazed at her husband. He wore some casual kakis and a light blue shirt while her mom, Megumi Higurashi, was wearing a white v-neck shirt with a maroon knee-length skirt. From the looks of it, he had been here for a couple of days, so Kagome was a little late.  
  
"Dad!" She yelled as she ran into the living room. He stood up and hugged her, laughing at his daughter's enthusiasm. It wasn't until she was surrounded by his presence did Kagome finally realize how much she really missed her father. After being away from him for over three years, the toll of it now took on her. With this emotion that had been suppressed for over three years and with what she had just experienced with her friends, the end of her limits were reached. So, she did the only thing a normal person would have done if they were in her shoes.........she cried on her father's shoulder. Her whole body wreaked in sobs as she tried to muffle them on her father's shoulder, though it wasn't really working. Her father, Sano, clutched onto her tighter than before, rubbing her back soothingly and trying to calm her down as she tried to stifle her sobs. Surprisingly it worked! To this day it was only her father that could calm her down when she was crying. Well, he was the only one until she remembered what happened to her three years ago.  
  
Inuyasha was another person who could calm her down, even though half the time Kagome was crying because of him. Still, even if she was crying because of him, when he would hold her in his arms, all her anger and sadness would disappear. Instead, she would be enveloped in the essence known as Inuyasha. Just thinking about him put her in a peaceful frame of mind.  
  
Kagome broke out of her thoughts of Inuyasha as her father pushed her back so he could see her. The miko looked at him and then at the worried looks from the rest of her family. They were probably wondering if something happened in the past. She didn't want them to worry, since she already knew how to deal with that problem.  
  
"I really missed you dad," Kagome told him quietly, clutching onto him like a lifeline. Ever since she was little, he was always the one who would take away her nightmares and now wasn't an exception.  
  
She heard him chuckle above her and she lifted her tear stained face up to him. His warm blue-grey eyes shone in happiness as he looked at Kagome. He lifted his right hand and wiped her tear-stained face and smiled down at her.  
  
"I missed you too Kagy," He said warmly as he settled himself on the couch and placed her between him and her mother.  
  
_'Kagy! No one has called me that in over three years. However, that's understandable since dad is the only one who calls me that. I guess when he left, the nickname went with him, but now it's back!'_ Kagome thought as she smiled back at him. Contrary to the popular belief of people and their dislike of their nicknames, Kagome actually liked hers. _'If Inuyasha ever found out my nickname, I would never be able to live it down,'_ She thought. He always came into her thoughts at unexpected times, but just thinking about him made her smile; thinking about him and what he whispered to her when she fell into the well turned her smile into a grin. Kagome was ripped out of her thoughts of Inuyasha by her father's voice.  
  
"There's the real Kagy that I was waiting for." He said as the others laughed at the use of the nickname after three long years. Tauntings of _'Kagy'_ was heard from Souta before she scrambled after him, screaming at him to get '_his little teen butt back here so she could pound him.'_ Their parents and grandfather just laughed at their sibling behaviour and didn't stop until they both came back into the living room panting from their excursion and flopped down on the floor of the living room by the coffee table. After the family had settled down, Kagome asked a question that was bugging her since she first saw her dad.  
  
"Hey dad, are you going to stay here from now on?" Kagome asked him as the others turned to Sano, hope evident in their eyes. Sano Higurashi smiled at his family and nodded.  
  
"Yes I am. With the branch in North America up and running, they don't need help from one of the owners of the company anymore. I'm really glad, because now I could stay here with my family like I should have been. I know I should have visited too in the past three years. Phone calls can only get you so far, but I couldn't leave because if something happened back there when I was here, it would have set back our company by millions," Sano Higurashi explained to his family. They all sighed in relief that he would be staying here from now on and not leaving them again. They all relaxed, but one question from Sano got them all tensed up to the point that their muscles were straining.  
  
"So Kagome, where have you been for the past couple of days and where did you get those scratches on your arms?" Sano asked his daughter. Kagome stiffened and looked down at her bare arms since her t-shirt wasn't covering the still evident scratches from the most previous battle in which she had almost 'lost her life' in the aspect of her friends. NOT!  
  
She looked into the eyes of her father. She knew she couldn't lie to him. This wasn't your everyday white lie. This was major. Kagome decided to tell him everything. He was her father after all; he would believe her and not think she was a raving lunatic who needed some serious help as well as a psychiatrist, right?  
  
"Um, dad? Whatever I tell you, you have to believe me, okay?" She asked him, looking for encouragement from her other family members, which she was warmly given.  
  
"Sure honey," He told her, but if Kagome had looked closer at her father, she would have clearly seen amusement in his eyes. It was almost as if he knew what was going on and was waiting for his family to explain. Was that the case? No right?  
  
"Okay. You see, three years ago, I fell into our family shrine well and travelled back 500 years into the past. There, I found out I was the reincarnation of a dead priestess, who by the way by some weird witch was brought back to life later on, and I released a hanyou named Inuyasha. I later found out I carried the Shikon no Tama inside me, but then while getting it back from a crow demon I sort of broke it and I, along with Inuyasha, had to find all the pieces since it gives demons powers. Along the way we met a fox demon named Shippo, a monk named Miroku with a black hole that will kill him if he didn't kill the person who placed it on him and a demon exterminator named Sango and her cat demon named Kirara whose whole village was destroyed. Now, we all travel together to find all the shards as well as destroy a demon, well hanyou, named Naraku that caused all my friends their pain," Kagome told him. She gave him the highly edited version of her tale, a very highly edited version. Kagome looked beside her to see her father's reaction to her tale. He was leaning back into the couch with a calm expression on his face.  
  
"I've heard of the legend of the Shikon no Tama. I was after all was raised by my father," he told her, pointing to grandpa. "So, you had it inside you. It's broken and now you, with your friends, are trying to put it back together. All right then," He finished with a shake of his head. Kagome stared at him and practically face-faulted.  
  
_'Jeez, he took that just like mom. At least Inuyasha isn't here. I wouldn't know what to do if my dad would have started tweaking his ears. My family is too weird,' _Kagome thought. She turned back to her father who had an excited look upon his face. '_If I didn't know any better, I would think that my father already knew about my time travelling expeditions, but I know for a fact that none of us told him whenever he called. Mom would have told me if she did tell him. I must just be imagining it.'_ Kagome was broken from her train of thoughts by her father's voice.  
  
"Now, tell me the long version of your story. I want to know what has been happening from the beginning," Sano told Kagome. She looked around the room at her family. To this day she had never told them what she had been through these past three years and about her powers.  
  
_ 'I guess, I finally have to tell them what I have been through. I have to tell them all of it, well almost all of it. I can't really tell them about Inuyasha and my relationship, even though mom sort of knows, and I can't tell them that I kissed Inuyasha when Kaguya tried to turn him into a full crazed demon. I mean, I don't even call it a kiss!'_ Kagome contemplated.  
  
The rest of the day was filled with Kagome's tale of how she was sucked into the well by Mistress centipede, her encounter with Inuyasha and her other friends as well as all the attacks by various demons she had encountered.

* * *

Kagome trudged her way up the stairs into her room. By the time she had finished her tale it was very late at night. She even told the tale during dinner.  
  
_'I never knew we did that much in the past three years!'_ Kagome thought as she entered her room and changed into her pyjamas consisting of flannel pants and a white tank top. She made her way to her bed and sat on the edge of the bed and looked at the clock. She gave a yawn and saw that it was almost midnight.  
  
Kagome gave a sigh as she shuffled into her bed. She had promised her dad that she would go with him to see his work and meet his business partner, Mr. Yoshida. Her father, with Mr. Yoshida, had launched an electronics and technology business and it was booming around the world. It was actually Mr. Yoshida that came upon Sano Higurashi to be his business partner and Kagome's father readily agreed. It was a great opportunity. So, together they launched their business under the name Yoshida, since it was his idea, but Sano Higurashi was recognised as well.  
  
Kagome gave another sigh since she knew she had to wake up early the next day to go with her father, and she wasn't very happy about the idea of waking up early.  
  
She turned around in her bed and looked over at her night table where her lamp, that was still on, her alarm clock, and a photo resided. Kagome picked up the photo and one lone tear glistened down her cheek as she gazed at the picture. It was a picture that was taken several months ago, on her birthday. She had dragged Inuyasha to her time to celebrate it with her family and he had reluctantly agreed, even though Kagome knew he really did want to go, but was covering it up with his bad boy attitude.  
  
It wasn't only Kagome's 18th birthday and her mark of finally becoming an adult, but it was also the three-year anniversary of Kagome and Inuyasha of when they first met. Megumi, Kagome's mother, had pushed the two to stand in front of the God tree and rearranged them so that Kagome was standing in front of Inuyasha, who by the way had his chin resting on top of her head. She then placed Inuyasha's arms around Kagome's shoulder and clasped his hands in front of her. Kagome's hands were raised to his hand and clasped on top of his. They both had a red tint on their faces because of their position, but as Kagome looked at the picture she saw the content smile that Inuyasha had on in which he rarely showed to anyone. This picture was a treasure to Kagome and she kept it beside her bed ever since it was taken. It was one of those rare moments in life where it seemed that nothing could ever go wrong and this moment was captured in that photo. Kagome placed the photo back on the night table and turned off the light. She settled herself in her bed and couldn't stop thinking about that day all those months ago.  
  
After the family party was done, they all had trudged up to their rooms to get some well-deserved sleep. Inuyasha had followed Kagome into her room and when they were finally alone did he reveal his present to her.  
  
It was a gold necklace with the Lord of the Western Land emblem, a family sign, attached to it. The emblem was crafted into a full moon in silver. Sketched in the full moon was a dog. Trinkets of crescent moons dangled from either side of the emblem. He had told her that his father had given it to his mother as a present and it was one of the things he had kept since his childhood. Even though Inuyasha had tried to pass it off as a present for a best friend, Kagome knew what it truly meant in Inuyasha's eyes. She was the first one beside his family that had accepted him for what he was and she had accepted him into her family; he really appreciated her for that. It was like a connection between the two families and Kagome couldn't be happier to receive it. In her time, she always wore it, seeing as it would have broken from all the fights in the past. She even had seen Inuyasha smile a couple of times when he had seen her wearing it when he came to pick her up sometimes. It always made Kagome happy to see Inuyasha in a happy mood. He did deserve the best, after all, he was a good person.  
  
Kagome tried to look over at her jewellery box on her shelf across the room, but it was hard to see in the dark. The necklace resided in the jewellery box and Kagome couldn't wait to wear it in the morning. It always made her feel that Inuyasha was near and right now she really missed him, even though she was still mad at him and her friends.  
  
After some serious contemplating she had forgiven her friends for all the things they had said to her, though she was going to yell at them when she saw them again for their utter stupidity and them being hypocrites. She knew that they didn't want her to get hurt, but they got hurt all the time - it was in the job description of trying to save the Feudal Era from Naraku.  
  
Kagome gave a yawn and knew that she wouldn't be able to stay awake any longer judging from her dropping eyelids. She settled comfortably in her bed and fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Kagome woke up to the birds chirping, the sunrays glittering into her room and what was that? The yelling of her brother to get her butt out of bed!  
  
Kagome tumbled out of bed and made her way to the bathroom to brush her teeth and to take a shower. After her shower, she dressed in a knee- length jean skirt and a white long sleeve v-neck top. She had to look nice since she was going to see her father's business partner. She combed her hair and left it out and then put on the necklace that Inuyasha had given to her.  
  
"Maybe I should cut my hair. I mean, it reaches to my waist now!" She exclaimed to herself while gazing at into the mirror.  
  
"But I like your hair long," Came a voice behind her. Kagome jumped and whirled around to see her grinning brother leaning against the doorway. He was wearing cargo pants and a white and green polo shirt. Kagome raised one of her delicately shaped eyebrow at his appearance.  
  
"What? Dad said I couldn't dress in my baggy clothes if I wanted to come with you and him." He explained to his older sister. Kagome nodded and turned back to take once more glace at herself in the mirror.  
  
After breakfast was done, Kagome, Souta, and Sano Higurashi made their way into the crowded streets of Tokyo. At this hour, it wasn't wise to take a car because of the traffic, so the three took to the streets and made it to the Yoshida electronics and technology building. Sano Higurashi presented his pass to the guards in front of the building and made their way in. They took the elevator to the top floor where the co-presidents resided.  
  
Kagome and Souta couldn't believe the size of the building! It looked to have at least 20 floors and their father had said that at least 10 including the 5 underground floors were labs to test new technologies. The lobby was huge! In the middle was a huge round desk of sort for the receptionist and adorning the lobby were fountains and marble floors.  
  
As they made it to the top floor, they came upon an open space, a huge open space, again with fountains and what looked like an indoor forest. It was sort of like a waiting area. As they walked across the room to the doors that labelled Mr. S. Yoshida on one and Mr. S. Higurashi on the other, Kagome passed by a young woman who looked to be around her age and might be the secretary. She couldn't help but be reminded of Rin, seeing as the young woman had the same warm brown eyes even though it was tinted with amber and also had long black hair.  
  
Kagome and Souta were ushered into Mr. Yoshida's office and Kagome turned to face the man standing in front of her.  
  
Even though he did look older than the man she saw just a few days ago, she couldn't forget the long silver hair and the amber eyes. Though he was missing his red strips and crescent moon, Kagome had seen this man, this demon, though he looked human now, before.  
  
_"Sesshoumaru?"_

* * *

A/N: Bet you guys didn't see that coming! Stay tune for the next chapter. I know this wasn't much of a chapter, but a lot of explaining had to be done! Review if you guys want me to update faster, though seeing as my beta reader is gone, I'll try my best!  
  
_Summary of new story: **Return of the Lost Soul (AU)**_  
  
Kagome believed that she was abandoned at birth and was cheated out of her life. However, with an unexpected run in with someone in need might help her with questions about her past and could even lead her to a bright future. Her journey awaits.........  
  
READ & REVIEW PLEASE  
  
Ja ne 


	11. Unexpected Future

**A/N: I know, it's been over a month since I last updated, but I had people over at my house for a week, then I started on my other stories, and then when I was writing this chapter, we kept having our power cut off and then like a minute later it would turn back on! I wouldn't have saved some parts and had to redo it! So sorry! **

**Anyways, now we get into the plot! Well soon anyways! This is where everything thing gets juicy! Enjoy!**

**Also, I hope I haven't lost any reviewers and readers because of this long wait! I'm sorry!**

**Important Question: I need an alternate spin off name for Sesshoumaru. Maybe, Sess or Maru or something! I mean Sesshoumaru isn't a very common name in the time that they are in. I know I put Mr. S. Yoshida, but if it's like Maru or something I can change it. Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha! I know sad isn't it? This applies for Chapter 10 too. I only own my made up characters and that includes Haku, Yuki, Yuna, and Kari! You'll meet them soon! **

**Review Responses:**

**anhimals:** I was a surprise! Ya, I did need that chapter to explain things! Thanks for the review and I hope you review again!

**the-unwanted-souls:** Sorry for the long wait! I hope you review again and I thank you for reviewing. Here's the next chapter, after all, who cannot resist the puppy dog look!

**Sango Twin:** Hi! Thanks for liking it and I hope you review again! ::laughing:: Laughter is contagious! Thanks for thinking it was funny! ::grins::

**evilblackcat**: Thank-you ::grins:: Really, I put that! Hmm, well I'll check it out and fix it! Thanks for pointing that out! When and where did they say that the father was dead! Seriously? I want to know! But this is a fanfic, so he's alive! But I want to know where it said that! I'm curious! ::giggles:: I know curiosity killed the cat! ::frowns:: I know bad joke! Review again! Oh! Thanks for thinking my fanfic rocks!

**Karulu:** ::blushes:: Really? Thanks for the complement and I hope you review again!

**chrisy12**: Ya, I surprised you! Anyways, it was obvious that her father knew! She also realizes her friend's true motives, but don't think that she'll be forgiving them easily! You know Kagome's temper! ::grins:: Oh! Thanks for thinking my grammar was good! I hope you review again!

**jammies2000:** Thanks for thinking my story is so cool. I know it was mean of them to say that Kagome was a burden and even Sango to go along with even though she killed that demon, but they just don't want her to get hurt like before. I know it's stupid, but they don't like to see her get hurt! They ARE hypocrites! I'm sure they'll come to realize their mistakes, of Kag's true nature someday. Now, the Kikyo comment! I got four words for that! I don't think so! That would be very BAD! Plus that's highly impossible, considering Sango, Miroku, and Shippo hate Kikyo too for all the trouble she has cause between Kagome and Inuyasha! Review again!

**4kagome**: ::gapes:: two reviews! WOW! Sorry for the long wait, but I hope you like thins chapter! Please review again!

**ange:** Sorry for the cliffie, but here's the next chapter and I hope you review again!

**Kawaii Houshi**: ::laughing:: I know! It did come out of nowhere! I'm glad you like it! And about Rin! She is an awesome character! I mean look at her in my other story, The Return of the Lost Soul! She so cute and kick's ass for a four-year old! ::whipers:: I'm trying to finish the next chapter for that story! ::stops whispering:: Well, if you want to find out if Rin is alive, read on and review!

I know that the future Sesshoumaru acts OOC, but it has been 500 years, so ya!

_REVIEW! ___

* * *

_Kagome woke up to the birds chirping, the sunrays glittering into her room and what was that? The yelling of her brother to get her butt out of bed! _

_Kagome tumbled out of bed and made her way to the bathroom to brush her teeth and to take a shower. After her shower, she dressed in a knee-length jean skirt and a white long sleeve v-neck top. She had to look nice since she was going to see her father's business partner. She combed her hair and left it out and then put on the necklace that Inuyasha had given to her._

_"Maybe I should cut my hair. I mean, it reaches to my waist now!" She exclaimed to herself while gazing at into the mirror._

_"But I like your hair long," Came a voice behind her. Kagome jumped and whirled around to see her grinning brother leaning against the doorway. He was wearing cargo pants and a white and green polo shirt. Kagome raised one of her delicately shaped eyebrow at his appearance._

_"What? Dad said I couldn't dress in my baggy clothes if I wanted to come with you and him." He explained to his older sister. Kagome nodded and turned back to take once more glace at herself in the mirror. _

After breakfast was done, Kagome, Souta, and Sano Higurashi made their way into the crowded streets of Tokyo. At this hour, it wasn't wise to take a car because of the traffic, so the three took to the streets and made it to the Yoshida electronics and technology building. Sano Higurashi presented his pass to the guards in front of the building and made their way in. They took the elevator to the top floor where the co-presidents resided.

_Kagome and Souta couldn't believe the size of the building! It looked to have at least 20 floors and their father had said that at least 10 including the 5 underground floors were labs to test new technologies. The lobby was huge! In the middle was a huge round desk of sort for the receptionist and adorning the lobby were fountains and marble floors. _

_As they made it to the top floor, they came upon an open space, a huge open space, again with fountains and what looked like an indoor forest. It was sort of like a waiting area. As they walked across the room to the doors that labelled Mr. S. Yoshida on one and Mr. S. Higurashi on the other, Kagome passed by a young woman who looked to be around her age and might be the secretary. She couldn't help but be reminded of Rin, seeing as the young woman had the same warm brown eyes even though it was tinted with amber and also had long black hair with her forelocks in silver. _

_Kagome and Souta were ushered into Mr. Yoshida's office and Kagome turned to face the man standing in front of her. _

_Even though he did look older than the man she saw just a few days ago, she couldn't forget the long silver hair and the amber eyes. Though he was missing his red strips and crescent moon, Kagome had seen this man, this demon, though he looked human now, before._

_"Sesshoumaru?"___

* * *

**Chapter 11: Unexpected Future**

Silence filtered into the office room. Kagome stood rigged as she stared at the demon, no, human, in front of her.

_'But that's impossible! Sesshoumaru is a demon, not a human right? However, if he is a human, then how did he become one? If he isn't, then how does he exist? Aren't demons no longer exist in this time? Is this even Sesshoumaru?'_ All these questions burned Kagome's mind.

"Hello Kagome," The human-like Sesshoumaru greeted her. Kagome stood shocked as she looked at him. One of her questions was answered. It was Sesshoumaru. She recognized his voice all too well, but her other questions remained unanswered.

Kagome looked at Sesshoumaru. He wasn't the same Sesshoumaru that she had seen a couple of days ago. He looked to be in his late thirties or early forties and his hair was cropped a little past his shoulders. It fell freely onto his back; those same silvery locks as always. He had no strips adorning his face and his crescent moon had vanished from his forehead. His ears weren't pointy like demons, but rounded like a human. Plus, instead of his traditional kimono, he was wearing a black business suit with a white collared shirt. To say the least, Kagome was a little tongue-tied.

"How.........you.........past.........human!" She managed to get out. He chuckled at her and Kagome couldn't help but take a couple of steps back. She had never heard Sesshoumaru laughing and to say the least, it was a little bit scary.

All through this peculiar exchange, Souta looked on, confusion clearly written on his face and Sano Higurashi was evidently amused by the exchange between the two. It was like he knew that this was going to happen.

"How?" Kagome asked more clearly, after getting over her panic and confused state. Sesshoumaru leaned back onto his desk and casually crossed his arms across his chest.

"First tell me this: What's happening in the past?" He responded, asking his own question. A serious look crossed his once at ease face.

"Right now, the well is sealed, though I can easily break it." Kagome said, an angry look crossing her usual carefree face. Sesshoumaru nodded in understanding before he smiled. Kagome looked back up at him and practically shivered. She was never used to Sesshoumaru smiling. He did it so rarely.

"So, they sealed you to this time, after you got hurt from one of Naraku's detachments. Then our meetings won't cause any problem. Well, Kagome, I'm still a demon and demons can live for a long time, so even after 500 years, I'm still around." Sesshoumaru explained.

"But you look human. I mean, sure it's unusual for you to have silver hair and amber eyes, but you look human. How?" Kagome asked.

"Well, about my hair and eyes, everyone just assumes that I'm an albino. As for my human appearances, it's all thanks to my trusty watch," He explained while pointing to his rather expensive watch. Kagome looked at it, her mind clearly confused.

"How can a watch do that? Is it some sort of a special watch?" Kagome asked. Sesshoumaru shook his head.

"In this time, there are demons, but you just don't know who's a demon. We demons cover our demon qualities to fit into a mainly human society. We had decided not to cause any harm or try to harm the humans, but rather fit in peacefully. There are very few full demons in this world. There are hanyous and so on. However, with some hanyous, their demon blood is so insignificant that they don't show any sign of their demon heritage and are considered to be humans. This is the result of demons constantly mating with humans." He explained.

"So there are still demons in this world, but they make themselves look human, because human far outnumbers the demon population." Kagome said, trying to grasp the new information. Sesshoumaru nodded his head to confirm what she said was true. "But that still doesn't explain how your watch hides your demon qualities."

"Well, there is an incantation that exists to hide demon qualities. It must be placed on an object and then when the demon wears it, his or her demon qualities vanish and they appear human. However, when the object that the spell is on is taken off, the normal appearance of that demon shows right through."

"Can the incantation be placed on any object?" Kagome asked.

"Yes. It's common to place it on an object that you wear everyday like watches or rings." Sesshoumaru explained. Kagome stared back at the man – well technically the demon – in front of her. She still couldn't believe the time period that she had thought contained a boring, normal, nothing out of the ordinary life was holding a big secret. However, having been dragged down a time travelling well when she was fifteen and meeting demons and spirits for the past three years had managed to wear away her freaked out nature and made her expect the unexpected. Thus, in a twisted kind of way, Kagome managed to accept this new hidden world she had walked into, though she was still treading carefully.

"Okay. So you're saying that you've aged 500 years since I last saw you in the past." She stated rather than asked. Sesshoumaru answered her with a confirmed nod. She turned to her still confused brother, Souta, and her father who was without a doubt, in amusement. The gears in Kagome's head suddenly clicked, making Kagome come upon a critical observation. "Dad! You knew this didn't you?" She shouted, half in surprise and half in anger.

Sano's face went from amusement to shock to nervousness in the vast amount of ten seconds. He glanced around the room, avoiding his daughter's eyes. Before Kagome could go after her father, a cough was heard behind her. Kagome turned her enraged self to face a nervous looking Sesshoumaru. Wait a minute! Time out! Hold the anchovies! Off side! The great almighty Sesshoumaru NERVOUS! Well that was a first. This was for sure something new. Kagome wondered what else had happened to Sesshoumaru in the past 500 years. She was broken out of her thoughts by his voice.

"It wasn't your father's fault, but mine," He said. Kagome took a deep breath and calmed herself down. She sighed and settled herself down on one of the leather chairs in front of the desk that Sesshoumaru was leaning against. The three other occupants in the room gave her a puzzled look. Kagome unconsciously rubbed her temples and sighed again.

"I have a feeling this is going to be a long story," She told the others. Souta and Sano Higurashi sat in the two remaining seats and settled themselves down. Kagome looked at the human looking Sesshoumaru warily. He smirked and took off his watch. Instantly, his ears became pointed and elf-like; his fingernails grew to parade his sharp claw and the strips magically appeared on his cheeks as well as his crescent moon on his forehead. He put the watch down on his desk and turned back to the three. Sano had an indifferent look on his face, though maybe that was because he had seen this already done a dozen of times already. His son, Souta, had a look of awe on his face as if he just found himself in a candy store. Kagome, however, sat comfortably in her chair now that the demon appearance of Sesshoumaru stood in front of her. She was used to seeing him with his demon features and it crept her out without them on him.

"That's much better. The human looking you really gave me the goosebumps," She mumbled. Suddenly, the forgotten voice in the group suddenly piped up.

"That was so cool! You sort of look like Inuyasha-nii-san! Do you know him? Are you really the Sesshoumaru from the past? My sister said that Sesshoumaru was Inuyasha's half-brother." Souta said eagerly, sitting on the edge of his seat. The slightest movement could have had him plunging to the floor. Kids were really curious these days.

Sesshoumaru looked at the child in wonder. He had never seen anyone that curious before. Well that was a lie. He knew a couple! This little brother of Kagome reminded him of a little girl he knew, who he was going to see right after this explanation. Well, that was if Kagome didn't purify his demon butt first.

"Well, yes I am Inuyasha's half-brother and I did live 500 years in the past." He said to the curious boy, who was looking at him in adoration. Kagome gave a side-glance at Souta and couldn't help but recognize that look.

_'Looks like Souta has another hero. Great! He had to have the Inu-youkai brothers as heroes._' She thought as she rolled her eyes. She then turned her eyes to the dog demon in front of her and mentally urged him to talk. He glanced at her and quirked an eyebrow at her, defying her of what she wanted to know_. 'Well, I guess some things don't change.'_ She thought, giving him a wary glance.

"Well........." She said, hoping that it would make him talk. It worked as he began speaking again. Kagome silently cursed herself, having just realised that he had tricked her into talking; to ask him to start talking_. 'I wish I had a rosary for him!'_ she thought but then listened to what he was saying.

"Well, when your father and I went into business together, I had no idea that he was to be your father. After all, you never really told me your last name and if you did, I hadn't the slightest clue what it was, since it was such a long time ago. He didn't even know I was a demon either. When your mother had you and they named you Kagome, I found out that the baby Kagome was the Kagome that had travelled in the past, because the baby Kagome smelled just like you. It was then that I realized what I had gotten myself into." Sesshoumaru explained.

"So you sent my father to North America because you told him about how I was going to be pulled down the well and into Feudal Japan?" Kagome asked, still puzzling over what he had just said.

"Yes. By that time we already had our plans intact to expand to North America. We didn't have to send your father there, but it was such a great cover, so we took it." He responded back. Kagome looked at him, reviewing over all the things that he just said. One thing, though, made Kagome curious.

"But why did you send him? I mean you didn't have to send him just because he knew and if that was the issue, then why didn't you just not tell him?" Kagome asked him. Sesshoumaru nodded his head in understanding.

"I always knew you were the brains in the group." He told her humorously . She gave a blank look at him.

_'What the hell just happened! Was that a compliment or an insult?'_ Kagome looked at him strangely and he shifted from one foot to the other under her uneasy gaze. One thing that Sesshoumaru had learned in his life was to fear the wrath of a woman. Since he knew Kagome's temper and her power over his brother's 'sitting' from the past, he never wanted to deal with an angry Kagome who could collar him if she wanted to. He cleared his throat and prepared to answer her question.

"Well I had to make him leave. If Inuyasha had met your father, he would have known that I live here in this time! Considering that we never had the best of a relationship at the beginning of you arriving in Feudal Japan, that would have been bad." He explained. Kagome still had a confused look on her face.

"I don't get it."

"Well, demons have superior senses, right?" At a confirmed nod from Kagome he continued. "Well, dog demons have a superior sense of smell and Inuyasha would have smelled my scent on your father since he and I work together and are around each other constantly at work. That is why your father had to leave, or Inuyasha would have smelled out that your father was hiding something and lying to you sometimes." Sesshoumaru explained. Kagome's eye widened in realization upon hearing what he said. She now understood why her father had to leave. Inuyasha couldn't know that his brother was still alive in the future, not yet anyway. There was no idea what he would have done if he found out demons still lived in this time!

_'Well with his lack of reason sometimes, he would go after every demon until they were dead, in fear that they would hurt me. However, that's why I love him!'_ Kagome thought as a small smile appeared on her lips. She quickly shook out of her thoughts and looked back up. She saw the look on Sesshoumaru and she could guess that he knew what – or who more likely – she was thinking about and was going to make an embarrassing comment, something likely to involve the word 'mate' and he was going to say it in front of her father! Kagome would not have that!

"So, Sesshoumaru, what have you been doing for the past 500 years?" She asked him before he could make his comment. However before he could respond, the door to the office opened and a young man stepped into the room reading the contents of the folder he was carrying. Kagome looked him over and she couldn't help but notice that he looked very much like a human version of Sesshoumaru with black hair and bronze eyes (like brown and amber mixed). He looked to be in his early twenties and looked too young to be working here. He wore a navy blue business suit with a light blue collared shirt underneath. His hair was cropped just like Sesshoumaru but was pulled back into a loose ponytail.

"Dad, I found the folder about the Takahashi file you wanted, I thought........." He stopped his sentence as he looked up to his 'father' in his demon form. "Dad, why are you in your demon form?" He asked. Sano stood up from his chair, which was the nearest to the young man, and made his way to him.

"Haku, my, how much have you grown these past three years! You now would be twenty-two years old if I'm not correct. Working here again for the summer?" Sano asked. The young man named Haku nodded his head and tucked the now closed folder under his left arm and shook Sano's hand with his right hand.

"Yes I am, Mr. Higurashi," He answered back. While this was happening, Souta was still staring at his new hero. Even at thirteen years old, a teen still needed a role model. Meanwhile, Kagome was shocked senseless. She looked at Sesshoumaru and then at the young man named Haku.

_'Did he just call Sesshoumaru DAD? OH MY KAMI!'_ Kagome thought. She jumped out of her chair and looked at Sesshoumaru.

"Sesshoumaru, you're a father!" She shouted. At his nod, she fell into an uncontrollable fit of laughter, in which she had to clutch the edge of her chair to prevent herself from falling onto the carpeted floor. Haku stopped his conversation and looked at the young woman who looked to be his sister's age laughing at her father, who was doing nothing about it. Also, he was puzzled that she had seen her father in his demon form and called him Sesshoumaru. The only people who called him that were demons, but they said 'Lord' in front of his name because of his demon lineage. However, he heard about one person who called her father by his name who could be in this time, since his father had met her 500 years ago in the past. Haku walked up to the woman and looked at her before smiling at her, though she was still laughing.

"It's finally a pleasure to meet you Aunt Kagome!" Kagome stopped her laughter and looked at Haku. She slowly turned her head to her left side and saw a smirking Sesshoumaru. She held up her left hand in a form of a fist and shook it at him.

"Someone's going to get hurt," She said nearly growling, which she had learned from hearing Inuyasha do it so many time when Kouga was around. He looked at her indifferently and shook his head. She rolled her eyes, before a sly smile replaced her once angry face.

"So who's the mother? Is it someone I know?" She asked. Kagome saw a sight that she would have never seen back through the well: the great Lord Sesshoumaru was blushing! Kagome dissolved into another round of a fit of giggles. She turned back to Haku who was looking at her eagerly.

"So your father told you about me. Now that's an honour. So, since your father is busy blushing thinking about his mate, why don't you tell me who she is?" She asked. He nodded his head and was about to answer when he was interrupted.

"Haku! I leave the desk for one minute and you go barging in. God, you can be so stupid! Dad is with Higurashi-san! It's official, I have a moron as a brother!" A feminine voice yelled as she made her way to Haku. Kagome looked at the young woman who looked to be her age and remembered that she was the secretary that she had seen earlier when they had entered the office. She had on clothes that a secretary shouldn't have been wearing: a pair of baggy black jeans and a tight red long sleeved top. Her hair flowed and stopped halfway down her back. It was black but the front forelocks were silver in colour. Her brown eyes with a tint of amber in them were blazed in anger as she looked at her brother. Her eyes suddenly shifted to the young woman beside her brother and then to her demon father before she understood who the woman in front of her was.

"Aunt Kagome!" She squealed hugging Kagome. "Mom told me so much about you! My name is Yuna." She said as she looked at Kagome. Kagome looked at her in puzzlement, before she smirked.

"Hi! So I know your mother! Who is she?" And yet again, before Yuna could answer, she was interrupted, but by Sano.

"Why are they calling you Aunt Kagome?" Sano Higurashi asked his daughter. Kagome searched her brain for a plausible cover up.

"Well, it's because.........I know their father! Ya!" She said smiling at him. Souta chose this time to come out of his child-like adorning moment and got out of his chair and stood next to his father, who was standing by Sesshoumaru.

"No. It's just that Inuyasha and Kagome are together." He casually said. A blush appeared on Kagome's face as her father curiously looked at her.

_'I wish that was true. Oh no, dad doesn't know this. Stupid Sesshoumaru and stupid Souta!'_ Kagome thought.

"What!?" Her father asked her.

"There is NOTHING going on between Inuyasha and I!" She shouted.

"Yet!" A chorus said in unison, consisting of Sesshoumaru, Souta, Haku, and Yuna. Kagome grumbled under her breath as her father got a knowing look.

"Kagome?" Sesshoumaru asked. Kagome lifted her head and looked at him in question. "This is my eldest, Haku, and my daughter, my third child, Yuna, who's the same age as you, eighteen if I'm right?" He introduced them. Kagome nodded at him guessing her age correctly. She warmly returned the greeting to the both of them. Before she could ask her favourite question, Sesshoumaru shook his head no.

"Not here. We'll take you all back to our house and then we'll talk there." He told her. Kagome sighed in disappointment, but then perked up at his next statement. "You'll find my mate there as well."

"Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" She said as they made their way to the parking garage via the elevator, but not before Sesshoumaru had placed his watch back on.

* * *

**_Feudal Japan(same day).................. _**

The remaining gang made their way down a path as they looked for demons that might have a Shikon shard. Sango and Miroku walked side-by-side with Shippo walking in between them and Kirara riding on Sango's shoulder. In front of them Inuyasha walked with his arms in his sleeves while muttering the same phrases over and over again, which quickly became irritating to the other members.

"Stupid rock, stupid grass, stupid leaf, stupid tree, stupid sky, stupid sun, stupid birds, stupid.........." And on he went. The others were very close to knocking the hanyou unconscious, before he said something that made them change their plan of attack. ".........stupid friends........." He said. The others gave an evil smirk. After all, why knock him unconscious when you can irritate him in return.

"Look Lady Sango, Inuyasha considers us his friends," Miroku said calmly.

"Wow Miroku, I think he likes us and is going soft." Sango replied.

"We love you too Inuyasha!" Shippo yelled to the hanyou. Inuyasha growled before turning around and facing them.

"Stupid people who are not my friends, but a pain in the ass!" He yelled at them before stomping off and resuming his 'stupid' remarks.

"Jeez, what do you think crawled up his ass?" Sango asked.

"Lady Sango, I don't think we should question what it is, but how long it has been there," Miroku said before he and Sango fell into a fit of laughter and Shippo gave a few chuckles. After they had composed themselves, they could still see the grumpy hanyou.

"Well at least, he's not mopping around the well." Miroku said.

"Ya, but that was when momma-Kagome was going to come back. He waits for her, but since she can't, he's just grumpy and stressed out." Shippo responded.

"Well, I think we all are stressed out." Sango replied.

"You know, a great way to release stress is by having s........." Poor Miroku never managed to finished the perverted sentence before having Sango plant her boomerang onto his head, knocking him to the ground.

"Stupid PERVERT! Stupid innuendoes too!" Sango yelled out. Inuyasha stopped his sulking and turned back to come upon a familiar scene. He couldn't help but smile at the scene.

"Stupid friends.........." He mumbled before he shook his head. He walked over to the now dazed Miroku rubbing his head and helped him get up. They both looked at the now fuming Sango who was walking in front of them.

"Stupid men! Now I have to be the only woman in the group who has to deal with the stupid pervert!" She ranted as she now continued on the 'stupid' argument, though it dealt around Miroku and how she had to deal with all of them. Shippo sighed at their behaviour and started walking down the path after Sango with Inuyasha and Miroku following behind.

"I'll never get grown-ups," Shippo said, dragging his tired feet. Inuyasha looked down at the tired kitsune and picked him up and settled him on his shoulder before resuming the walk. He, with Shippo, saw Miroku catch up to Sango trying to calm her down, but failing by groping her. Then, they heard the familiar sound of Hiraikotsu meeting his head and the two couldn't help but laugh at Miroku as they continued walking to look for a demon with Shikon shards.

* * *

_**Present Day.........**_

Kagome looked around the limo she was situated in. She had never been in a limo before and she was just bursting with excitement. She felt the limo slow down before coming to a stop. She, along with the others, got out of the limo and Kagome lifted her head up at the mansion in front of her. She turned to Sesshoumaru who was beside her.

"What? You didn't like the palace?" She joked. Haku and Yuna looked at them in wonder.

"Dad, you use to live in a palace?" They said in unison. He nodded before walking into the mansion.

"A palace stands out too much, don't you think?" He joked back. Kagome shook her head at him and followed him, giving him a punch on his left arm. Wait! Left arm?

"When did you get your arm back?" She asked him in shock.

"Daddy, you had lost your arm before?" A little girl's voice was heard. Kagome looked down and she swore she was looking at Rin. She looked to be around eight or nine and had the same black hair with a side ponytail, but her eyes were amber. She had on an orange and white-checkered kimono that she had seen Rin wear when Kagome had first met her.

"How's my little girl Kari doing today?" He asked as he picked her up. She giggled but repeated her question. Kagome looked on with interest.

_'Wow! I never knew he could act like that! The once cold-hearted demon Lord is now openly expressing feelings for others. I guess fatherhood plus 500 years can do that to a person.'_ Her thoughts were broken by Sesshoumaru's gentle voice as he answered his daughter.

"Yes, a long time ago I had lost my arm, but it's a long story," He told her. He then directed his next answer to Kagome's question. "My arm grew back 50 years later." The little girl nodded in understanding before turning her chocolaty brown eyes to Kagome. She smiled up at her and motioned her father to set her down. Once she was on her feet, she bowed to Kagome and gave her a cheerful smile.

"Hello! My name is Kari. Who are you?" She asked in her childish voice. Kagome smiled down at the girl and bowed to her in return. The others, who had now caught up to Sesshoumaru and Kagome just now, watched with Sesshoumaru at the scene playing before them.

"My name is Kagome Higurashi and I am a friend of your father and apparently your mother too." The girl giggled at the response. "How old are you?" She asked the girl. The girl puffed up her chest and proudly proclaimed her age to her.

"I am eight years old and I know you. Mommy told me stories of you and Uncle Inuyasha."

"Well, that's great. I wonder how you would look with your demon qualities showing." Kagome said to her. Kari gave a gasp and looked at her father. When he didn't say anything, she shrugged at Kagome.

"Um...I'll show you in the living room, because my momma has to take it off." She said acting dignified. They all walked into the living room when the answer to Kagome's long time question was answered, though she pretty much knew who the mother was.

"Kagome-nee-san!" A voice was heard. Kagome looked up and saw a much older Rin staring back at her in a casual pale blue spring dress. She stood up from her spot on one of the couches and pulled Kagome into a hug. Rin looked to be in her mid-thirties, but Kagome was puzzled. How could Rin still be alive if 500 years had past? She was after all a human.

"Oh my Kami, Rin.........Oh my Kami RIN! I knew it! I knew you two would get together." Kagome said as she was forced to settle herself on one of the couches in the living room.

The floor was made of marble. The entrance was opposite to the many windows that filtered the sunlight in and they gave a great view to the garden that was outside. In the middle of the room, a crème coloured plush carpet was placed and some white couches and recliner chairs were placed on top of it, not to mention a coffee table too. A fireplace lined the wall behind them, left of the entrance, and family portraits lined the right wall.

The others had joined Rin and Kagome on the couches and before Kagome could launch herself in millions of questions, Rin answered some of them beforehand.

"Sesshoumaru and I were mated when I had turned sixteen. We decided to wait to have kids, since Sesshoumaru had to keep control of his lands because many demons had thought he had become weak after he had taken me as a mate. After a while we even married the human way. The reason I'm still alive is that when you mate, whoever has the longer lifeline, it's place on both of them, so I now have the same lifeline as Sesshoumaru. We just recently had kids. This time period is a wonderful place to have your kids grown up." Rin said with a smile. Kagome nodded her head and filed the information in her brain.

"I still don't get the aging process," she commented.

"Well, a demon ages the same rate as a human, but when demon children are born, they grow up a little faster, because they need to defend themselves, so by the first year, they already know how to walk, run, talk, pick up things, plus they have their fangs and claws. Actually they get their fangs in the second month. Anyways, they age the same until they hit twenty, then they hardly age at all, just very slightly." Rin explained.

"Well, since you're fourteen in the past, then that would mean in two years, you two will be together. I knew it and you guys never believed me. So who told who?" Kagome asked, mischief flaring in her eyes. She looked over at Rin and then across the coffee table at the blushing Sesshoumaru. "Aww, look at who is blushing!" Sesshoumaru only started to grumble as Rin's face grew to a light shade of red.

"Oh come on, it can't be that embarrassing." Yuna said as she sat beside her brother, who was beside his father.

"Well, it's personal, so maybe they don't want to talk about it," Haku said. Yuna gave a scowl.

"Shut up Haku. Just because you don't like discussing your relationship with your girlfriend to others, that doesn't mean that mom and dad don't want to." Yuna retorted, her arms crossed and a scowl fitted onto her face. Kagome looked at her and blinked a couple of time. Rin looked over at Kagome who was staring at Yuna before a small smile itched onto her lips.

"I know, she sometimes reminds me of Inuyasha too." Rin said. Kagome smiled wistfully as she thought of Inuyasha.

_'I wonder what he's doing now? Probably annoying the others to no end.' _

Kagome looked over at Yuna whose eyes were bright.

"You really think I act like uncle Inuyasha? Cool!" Yuna said while Haku shook his head.

"Uncle Inuyasha though would never be an idiot like you," He commented earning a bonk on the head courtesy of Yuna.

"Uncle Inuyasha is so cool!" Kari said from her perch on her mother's lap. Sesshoumaru gave a sigh as he looked at his excited children.

"They've been hearing both your stories all their lives. I can't believe that they think their uncle is so cool and strong and not their father." Sesshoumaru commented. Rin gave a giggle and shook her head. Sano patted his friend's back in comfort, though he was fighting off a smile. Souta was in a conversation with the other three on how cool Inuyasha was. Plus, since Souta had actually met him, they were trying to suck every last piece of information out of him.

"Well, that's okay. Maybe your nieces and nephews will admire you," Rin said while looking over at Kagome. She glared at Rin trying to cover up the blush that had formed.

"Ya, I want grandchildren!" Sano shouted. Kagome looked at her father in horror. "What? You can't fight the inevitable. Plus, your mother already told me how you felt about Inuyasha. She knows that you love him." He said breezily. Being around a demon like Sesshoumaru didn't make him fear them or be racist against them. By this time, Kagome was hiding her very red face in her hands while the others quietly laughed on. Her muffled voice filtered out a question.

"So what happened in the past? Did we defeat Naraku?" She asked. The laughter quieted down and Kagome ventured dropping her hands from covering her face. They were all staring at Sesshoumaru and Rin with curious expressions.

"I can't tell you that. Plus, even if I told you it wouldn't make a difference. The future can change, so what's the point? You'll just have to wait and see." He said while Kagome pouted.

"Well, can I see your kids' hanyou form?" She asked. He nodded and Kagome saw Haku take off his watch, Yuna her bracelet, and Kari her necklace (though Rin had to help). They didn't look much different than in their human form. They had claws though and fuzzy black ears with a silver tip. Haku, him being the heir and all, had the same crescent moon and two strips on his cheeks.

"So cute!" She squealed, refraining herself from attacking those fuzzy ears. They placed their selected items back on and settled themselves back into their seats.

"So what are you going to do now?" Sesshoumaru asked. Kagome thought about what he asked. Yesterday, she did make the decision of waiting and becoming stronger spiritually and physically.

"I'm going to stay here to train with my miko powers and train my body to fight." She told him.

"Well then, why don't you train here? I'm sure one of the kids would be happy to train you physically. As for miko training, you're on your own, though I do have a very old book on miko powers. I'll give it to you the next time you come. It's in the library." Sesshoumaru said. Kagome nodded her head, liking the idea very much.

An argument between Haku and Yuna broke out right after on who would train Kagome, but Rin settled that argument.

"You two have work to do at your father's business, since you wanted to work there for either money and to gain experience, so Yuki will do it." She said firmly, not leaving room for argument. Kagome gave Rin a puzzled look. She didn't know who this Yuki was. Haku was the first born, Yuna the third, and most likely Kari was the forth, so Yuki must be the second born son.

"Yuki is our second born. I'll get Kari to get him later so you could meet him," Rin explained. Kagome nodded. Sesshoumaru, Sano, and Haku were discussing a meeting that they were going to have in an hour and were going to leave, but not before the last of Kagome's questions was answered.

"How did your kids know how I looked like and why do they call me their aunt?" Sesshoumaru smirked and pointed to a small picture that was framed above the fireplace. Kagome walked over to it and saw an old picture of the gang, plus Sesshoumaru and Rin. It was taken at Rin's birthday party that they just had a week ago. Jaken had taken it reluctantly after she had taught him how to. She remembered that she had the finished roll waiting at home to be sent to be made. It gave hope to Kagome that she would at least see Sesshoumaru and Rin again. Sesshoumaru's voice broke her picture gazing, in which she was staring at Inuyasha and his cocky smile. "And they call you their aunt because of the stories, what Rin and I have said to them, and that necklace you are wearing." Kagome turned around and brought out the necklace she was wearing that Inuyasha had given her. It was a golden necklace with the Lord of the Western Land emblem, a family sign, attached to it. The emblem was crafted into a full moon in silver. Sketched in the full moon was a dog. Trinkets of crescent moons dangled from either side of the emblem. "My father had given that to Inuyasha's mother as a wedding present. By Inuyasha giving it to you, it signifies to the others that you are to be his mate, though I really don't know if he did that unconsciously or if he actually knew what he was doing when he gave you that." Sesshoumaru explained while Kagome nodded her head, still gazing at the necklace.

Haku, Sesshoumaru, Sano and the much reluctant Yuna all left to get back to work or to the meeting, though Sano had told Kagome that they would have to talk about her relationship with Inuyasha later. Souta and Kari went to go find Yuki and then they were going to play some video games in the games room in the basement. Kagome settled herself down beside Rin, adjusting her jean skirt. Kagome gave a devious look at Rin and Rin bit her lips wondering what Kagome was going to say.

After living in the feudal era for three years, Kagome knew a couple of things about demons.

"So Rin, let me see your mark," She said while Rin's face flamed red. Rin shifted her dress and moved the collar-line of her dress from her left shoulder to show the mark. It was a crescent moon and it was outlined with a gold glow.

"Did it hurt?" Kagome asked. Rin told her it didn't and they started laughing at Kagome's question. It was hard to believe that Sesshoumaru would have wanted to inflict pain to Rin since one time in the past, she had gotten a paper cut from one of the scrolls she was writing in and he had forbidden her to write ever again.

Footsteps were heard before a young man entered the room. His amber eyes shifted between his mother and the woman who was sitting beside her before widening in realization. His silver hair was cropped short just below his neck and some got in the way of his eyes. (A/N: He looks like Riku in Kingdom Hearts) He wore a pair of beige kaki shorts and a white loose t-shirt. He looked to be in his twenties.

"Hey Aunt Kagome." He greeted her, plopping down beside her.

"Hello Yuki. So you're the one who's going to train me." She said. He looked at his mother for help.

"Yuki, you are going to train Kagome; teach her how to fight and all." Yuki nodded eagerly, though he did comment that he probably missed something important. Kagome then told him everything that had happened since that morning, plus she told him that she was staying in this time to train and that the well was sealed. In return, Kagome found out that Yuki was the most different from all four children. He was the only one with silver hair and amber eyes, though everyone else had brown eyes with traces of amber colour and black hair, though Yuna had a little silver hair and Kari had amber eyes. He also was into art and music and he even had a band. He played guitar and Kagome asked if she could see their band play once, and he readily agreed wanting to impress his aunt. Kagome also found out that he had just turned twenty and now he would age slower. After their conversation, they had received a phone call from Kagome's father and Sesshoumaru to send Souta and Kagome home. Kagome thanked Rin and Yuki and promised to come the next day for training in the morning so they could get an early start. Rin gave her their address and Souta and Kagome rode the limo back home to Sunset Shrine, with Kagome smiling all the while from looking at the necklace that hung around her neck.

* * *

A/N: Yes, finally done! I hope you all like that! Well, in the next chapter, you'll be seeing more of Sess's kids, especially Yuki!

Hint for next chapter: What do you get when you come across a time travelling miko, three friends, a dense boy ::coughhoujocough:: and a possessive dog demon whe want to protect his aunt for his uncle! COMPLETE HAVIC !

P.S. Kag get's to learn how to use a sword! Take that fluffy!

Also, I have a new story out of Inuyasha, please check it out!

**Summary of new story: Return of the Lost Soul (AU)**

Kagome believed that she was abandoned at birth and was cheated out of her life. However, with an unexpected run in with someone in need might help her with questions about her past and could even lead her to a bright future. Her journey awaits.........

Summary #2: AU With Naraku trying to take over the world, the four families try to band together. Kagome is a mysterious girl with a dark past. She believed to be alone, but maybe her new friends can bring her the life she was meant to live and her destiny. IK SM

Ya I suck at summaries, so if anyone has a better one, please put it in your review!

READ & REVIEW PLEASE!

Ja ne!


	12. Stronger

A/N: looking at angry reviewers nervously Ummm....I'm SO SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT! bows a couple of times I'm really sorry, but I have good reasons for the long wait! One! I just moved to.........dundundun.........university! University of Guelph to be exact, so I had to adjust to my classes for a couple of weeks. Add forth week, a week without a computer, and writer's block. Well then, we got a grumpy writer and even grumpier reviewers.

BUT NOW I'M BACK!!

**Review Responses:**

**jammies2000:** Thanks for the review. I'm glad you like my story and sorry for the long wait! I hope to hear from you again. Plus, og you so know that Kagome is going to give them a piece of her mind when she does meet up with them again.

**Kawaii Houshi**: ::blushes:: For real, you like my other story too! Thanks and thanks for reviewing. What of Inuyasha you ask? Well right now there are to possible outcomes for this story and I really don't know, so you'll just have to wait. Review again!

**evilblackcat**: Well, if you find out which episode it was tell me! Anyways thanks for the review. Yuki is going to be a very interesting character and the confrontation between him and Houjo isn't over here, in this chapter. Come on I wouldn't do that to all of you. I'm sure some of you out there would just love to hurt him, right? Review again please!

**Soramiko:** ::sniffsniff:: You read and reviewed all my chapters! THANK YOU so much! I know this chapter is sort of late, very late, but here you are. I hope it doesn't discourage you from reviewing, I'll try to update as fast as possible.

**chrisy12: **O.o!! Hurricane! Glad to know that you and your comp are okay! Anyways thanks for the review and of course Inu and Kag will meet each other or else they'll just drive everybody else crazy with their mopping! I hope to hear from you soon!

**Aznish: **Not write anymore you've got to be kidding me. I would never do that to my readers, to leave them hanging with an unfinished fanfic, that's just wrong. Have no fear aznish, this story will continue! (Was it just me or did I sound like a superhero! lol)

* * *

**_Chapter 12: Stronger_**

A fire burned in a small clearing. It gave heat to the figures sleeping around the fire pit and it kept the dangerous animals and demons away, not that they really needed to worry about THAT!

The reason for them to not to worry about being preyed upon was because of the red-clad hanyou that was settled on a tree above them.

Inuyasha gazed over at his sleeping companions, confirming to himself that they were all sleeping. His acute ears gave a twitch as he stretched his senses for any signs of danger. Feeling as there was nothing to be worried about, he settled himself on the tree branch with his back to the trunk.

He gave a frustrated growl as he thought of the day he had. Just that morning they had set off from Kaede's village, though the others wanted to stay and rest for a couple more days. It was only a day after.........Kagome went home. He couldn't have stayed a couple of extra days in that village, with the well so close. It was impossible! He had been grouchy and was cursing and swearing at everything around him, but that was before Sango went on her tirade of the bouzo!

Inuyasha sighed as he looked up at the stars, wondering if Kagome was looking at the stars 500 years into the future. His hand slipped under his haori, enclosing on the item he desired. He delicately took the item out and held it out in the moonlight.

It was the picture of Kagome that he had taken without her permission. The picture that showed that smile.........the smile in which she used just for him.

Looking at the picture, Inuyasha felt the tension in his muscles retreat as he continued to stare at the picture, but then again, any thoughts, sight or sound of Kagome always calmed him down.

Some would call it a curse or a gift, but Inuyasha considered it both. He hated it when she used her 'powers' on him with Kouga around. It made him all relax and not want to fight. He would usually end up cursing to the gods in his head when that happened.

Inuyasha was still gazing at the picture even though all the frustration of the day had disappeared. Now, he wasn't looking at the picture to relax, but to remember.

It was in his eyes.

His eyes held much sadness, and if one had looked into those sadness-filled eyes, they would see into his soul. They would see desperation, loneliness, and a soul torn in two.

The soul of a man who had lost his soul-mate.

That was who Inuyasha was and how he felt.

This was the Inuyasha with all his barriers down and in his most vulnerable position.

This was how he was without Kagome.

"Goodnight Kagome," He whispered to the picture before placing it back beneath his haori. He settled himself onto his branch and fell into a light sleep with thoughts that at least Kagome was safe in her time from demons.

Kagome stared out of the window in her room. The night sky glistened back at her as she leaned out of her window.

* * *

"Tomorrow.........tomorrow's the day that I start my training, Inuyasha." Kagome wistfully said as she stared at the God Tree from her position. She sighed giving the tree one more longing glance before going off to bed.

* * *

"ONEE-SAN!" A voice hollered into Kagome's ears frightening her from her sleep.

"AHHHHHHH!!" Kagome screamed as she fell off her bed, her bed sheets falling with her.

"Onee-san? Are you all right?" Souta asked his sister, trying to control his laughter. A moan was heard underneath the crumpled bed sheets as Kagome tried to untangle herself. She managed to get out and steadily glared at her snickering brother who was standing in front of her.

"Souta?" Kagome said with a creepy voice and a dangerous glint in her eyes (she had picked the voice up from all the badass demons she had encountered). Souta, catching onto his sister's strange behaviour, abruptly stopped his snickering and was slowly backing away from her.

"Come here, otouto," She whispered in a grave voice, waving him towards her. Souta shook his head before fleeing from his suddenly crazed sister.

As soon as Souta was out of sight, Kagome let her façade slip and let out a giggle.

"I guess meeting all those creepy demons did come in handy for something." Kagome laughed out as she walked to the bathroom to get ready for the day ahead.

One hour later, one could find Kagome just finishing getting ready in her room. She was dressed in a pair of track pants and a short-sleeved white tank top. She was after all going to train with Yuki. Over her tank top, she slipped on a zip-up black sweater. She took out her runners from her closet, slipped them on and went over to her dresser. She pulled her hair up in a high ponytail and the put on the necklace that she had gotten from Inuyasha for her birthday. Opening up a drawer, she took out the pouch containing the shikon shards and slipped it around her neck as well, tucking the pouch under her tank top.

After taking one look at herself in the mirror, she grabbed the piece of paper from her dresser with the address of Sesshoumaru's residence. She then descended down to the kitchen to meet her family for breakfast.

She passed the clock in the hallway and glanced at it to find out that it was already nine before shuffling into the kitchen.

As she walked into the kitchen, Souta looked up from his plate, gaping at her before averting his eyes back to his breakfast.

"Good morning!" She called out to her family. They returned the greeting as she settled herself between her father and brother. She looked over at her brother, who was trembling slightly and avoiding eye contact. She let out a giggle, making Souta look at her. He looked into her laughing face.

::Blink Blink::

Comprehension dawned upon Souta before he pointed at Kagome with an accusing look.

"You did that to scare me and to pay back for screaming into your ear." He yelled at her. Kagome carefully picked up her chopsticks before digging into her breakfast.

"I have no idea what you are talking about, Souta. You should finish up you breakfast, it's getting cold." Kagome answered in a cheery voice.

Souta just huffed as he settled back onto his chair, before crossing his arms and glaring at his breakfast, taking on a stance quite similar to his hero. Kagome picked up the stance right away and couldn't help but replace Souta with the red-clad hanyou.

She mentally sighed before going back to her breakfast.

_'It's only been two days since I've last seen Inuyasha. I have to be strong! I won't be seeing him for quite some time and I can't keep getting depressed over how much I miss him. I have to get stronger for Inuyasha, I will get stronger, for Inuyasha and for myself.' _

The clattering of plates broke Kagome from her thoughts as her father and brother got up from the table. Her mother and grandfather were almost finished and Kagome looked onto her plate, which was surprisingly almost empty. She quickly finished her breakfast before taking her plates and washing them.

As the last of the plates was washed, the doorbell rang. Footsteps were heard making their way to the door, so Kagome set her sight on drying the dishes. Before she could make her way to a dry towel, she heard familiar voices coming from the front door.

"KAGOME! Your friends are here!" Mr. Higurashi's voice hollered throughout the house. Kagome's eyes widened at the statement.

'_Oh no! No matter how much I love my friends, I can't hang out with them today. I have to go train with Yuki.'_

Her father's voice called for her again and Kagome slowly made her way to the front door.

"Hi guys!" Kagome called out to her three friends, Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi. They called out a quick greeting before Eri and Yuka grabbed Kagome and pulled her out the front door, saying farewell to Mr. Higurashi who was waving goodbye to them.

"You guys! What are you doing?" Kagome asked while being dragged by her two friends, with a patient Ayumi holding up the rear.

"Kagome, we are taking you to the mall!" Yuka told her as they made their way to the mall.

"Why?" Kagome asked, receiving a sigh from Ayumi.

"Well it's because we heard from Sakura, who heard from her boyfriend Takuya, that Houjo-kun was going to the mall today." Eri cheerfully answered. Kagome looked back at Ayumi who had an 'I'm sorry' look. Kagome gave her a reassuring smile, which Ayumi accepted.

"WAIT!" Kagome called to her two friends before planting her feet firmly in the ground, stopping her two friends.

"What is it Kagome-chan?" They asked her innocently. Kagome took a deep breath calming herself down.

"I can't come with you guys today. I'm busy doing something else." Kagome calmly answered her friends.

"What could be more important than Houjo-kun?" Eri asked.

"Kagome-chan, are you going to see that two-timing boyfriend of yours?" Yuka suspiciously asked. A pang in Kagome's heart silently responded to that question. She gently placed her right hand over her heart, as she got lost in her thoughts.

'_Two-timing boyfriend? How could he be my two-timing boyfriend when he never was my boyfriend to begin with? He was.........is my best friend. But maybe, just maybe, we could be more than best friends.'_

::FLASHBACK:: 

_Kagome didn't look back at them or say anything. She felt betrayed and she wanted to go home before she started to cry. She jumped into the well and took the risk of glancing back up._

_There stood Inuyasha, looking at her with a look of remorse, guilt, and was that love? However, before she could question it, an intense blue light surrounded her and all she heard before she landed in her time was the faint whisper of: _

"I love you........."

* * *

_Kagome sat there in the well crying as what her friends had said to her ran through her head. She had never felt so betrayed in all her life. 'Was this what Inuyasha felt when Kikyo had betrayed him and sealed him on the God tree?' Kagome thought._

_She didn't know how long she was in there before she calmed herself and ran through what just happened to her in her head. It wasn't until she remembered when she had jumped through the well did the strange whisper came into her mind._

_".........But who said 'I love you?'" Kagome asked herself as she pondered in the well._

* * *

_Darkness, only darkness could be seen and it stretched for all eternity. Kagome rocked back and forth, her knees drown up and her arms around them. Her knees muffled her face. She didn't know where she was and didn't know what to do. She had never felt this helpless before, and she gladly admitted it that she hated it. Suddenly a voice broke out through the darkness, a light was seen. Kagome didn't recognize the voice, but she felt herself being lifted out of the darkness and she was filled with warmth._

_**'Kagome, you can't leave me here alone.'**_

_She was getting closer to the light._

_**'I love you Kagome.'**_

_She still couldn't recognize the voice._

_**'You can't leave me, we still have our lives to live.'**_

_The light's intensity increased, blinding Kagome in the process._

_**'Come back to me Kagome.........I love you.........'**_

_Kagome heard this as she escaped the darkness. She was out of her a coma and now her mind waited until her body was rested to wake up. She fell asleep, the words of the strange voice she heard still going through her mind._

::END FLASHBACK:: 

_'All those voices that I heard, the voice that brought me out of the darkness, my coma, and the voice that said 'I love you' were all Inuyasha. HE had said he had loved ME, Kagome. And I love him.........'_

"Kagome! Yuka to Kagome! Do you copy?" Yuka called to Kagome. She jumped as she left her thoughts and turned to her friends.

"What?" Kagome asked them. Yuka and Eri looked at one another before both pointing their finger at Kagome.

"You are going to see that two-timing boyfriend!" They shouted in unison. Ayumi gave a sigh at her eccentric friends and gave Kagome a sympathetic look. She was the only one who understood that Kagome loved Inuyasha.

"You guys, I'm not going to see my boyfriend. I actually can't go see my boyfriend, since I don't have one," Kagome calmly explained, walking in the opposite direction of the mall. However, her two friends stopped her.

"You mean you broke up with him to get together with Houjo-kun?" They asked happily. Kagome glared at them before shaking her head negative.

"That 'two-timing boyfriend' that you two like to call him is only my best friend and was never my boyfriend to begin with. He's just very protective of me because of the sicknesses that I get." _'or the fact that he loves me or that there might be a demon after me.'_ Kagome added in her head. Yuka and Eri had a thoughtful look upon their faces before a big smile crept over their lips.

"So that means you're still single," Eri hinted at Kagome.

"I've always been single, but that doesn't mean I want to go out with anybody," _'except Inuyasha.' _She answered.

"Nonsense! Houjo-kun is waiting!" Yuka said before pulling Kagome to the mall with Eri pushing her too, all the while Ayumi just shook her head and followed them.

"Here we are!" Yuka called out as they made their way to the food court. She looked behind her to see Kagome looking at her wristwatch while biting her lower lip nervously, a giggling Eri and a worried Ayumi.

"What's wrong Ayumi?" Yuka asked her worried friend. Ayumi looked between her two friends, Eri and Yuka before turning to Kagome, who now was looking at Ayumi as well.

"I don't think we should push Kagome to see Houjo if she doesn't want to. I mean, she has already told us so many times that she doesn't like Houjo-kun and I think she was going to see a friend."

_'Ayumi, always the most sensible and perceptive out of all of us,_' Kagome thought as she smiled at her.

"Ayumi?" Eri and Yuka looked at one another guiltily before giving Kagome an apologetic look.

"Higurashi?" A voice rang through the food court. The four young women turned their heads to see a young man heading their way.

"Konnichiwa Houjo-kun!" Yuka and Eri called out simultaneously before sending an apologetic look at Kagome. Kagome gave them a watery smile before turning to Houjo who had made his way to them

"How are you Higurashi? How's your summer going? Have you been sick lately? Since school had let out and I started my summer job, I haven't got anytime to call and ask your grandfather." Houjo asked giving Kagome what appeared to be a charming smile.

"Ahhhh, I'm fine and I've been fine........." Kagome slowly said, trying to keep a cheerful smile.

"That's great! So if you're healthy, then how about a date tomorrow?" He asked Kagome.

_'Oh great! How am I supposed to get out of this one? Kami help me!'_

* * *

"Coming to the mall just to drop off Mom's broken watch to get it fix was a waste of time. I'm supposed to train Aunt Kagome today, not do errands!" Yuki mumbled as he walked passed the food court. He stuck his hands in the pockets of his black jeans. His white t-shirt made his silvery locks stand out more than usual, but luckily for him, he was wearing a baseball cap so he wouldn't stick out like a sore thumb.

As he walked past the food court, a peculiar scent tickled his nose.

"Aunt Kagome?" Yuki whispered before following where the origin started. He stopped as he saw Kagome with three other girls and a young man who appeared a couple of years younger than him.

"That's great! So if you're healthy, then how about a date tomorrow?" He heard the man ask Kagome. A strong scent of nervousness and unease oozed out of Kagome as she clearly put on her façade.

_'Ha! Like that guy is ever going to get the chance to go out with Aunt Kagome. No way! Since Uncle Inuyasha isn't here, I guess I'll have to be the one who comes to the rescue. Nobody messes with anybody from our family.' _Yuki thought as he growled internally.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" Yuki asked as he stood in front of Kagome, blocking her from Houjo's sight. The trio of girls to the side of Kagome stared exquisitely at him for a second.

"Are you that two-timing boyfriend of Kagome's?" Eri asked.

"No Eri, it's her two-timing friend!" Yuka told her.

_'Two-timing boyfriend? Two-timing friend? Uncle Inuyasha? They can't call him that!!'_

"Hey don't call my uncle that!" Yuki shouted at the two girls. Kagome gave a groan as Eri and Yuki's mouths fell open at the word 'uncle'.

"Kagome? Exactly how old is your friend?" Eri asked a very stressed looking Kagome.

"Half-uncle! And he's younger than his half-brother by a lot." Kagome explained.

"Ya, my uncle is only a couple of years older than me." Yuki told them. They all gave him a wary look.

"Okay, but why did you interrupt us? Houjo-kun was just asking Kagome out, weren't you Houjo-kun?!" Yuka asked, turning to Houjo who nodded and in return turned to Kagome. Before Kagome could answer, a cold voice interrupted her.

"She can't go out with you," Yuki said in a cold and chilly voice. They all turned to Yuki who was glaring at Houjo like he wanted to gut him.

"Why not?" Houjo asked, not noticing the dangerous gleam in Yuki's eyes.

"Because you don't ask an engaged woman out, do you?"

"ENGAGED!" The trio of girls and Houjo yelled before turning to a flustered Kagome.

_'Engaged? What is Yuki talking about? I'm not engaged.........wait a minute!'_ Kagome thought before looking at the necklace she was wearing around her neck; the one that Inuyasha had given to her. _'Yesterday.........yesterday Sesshoumaru told me that this necklace was an engagement necklace. So, I guess that would mean that I'm engaged to INUYASHA!' _Kagome realized with a start. Her eyes widened and her face slowly began to turn red right to the tips of her ears. While Kagome's friends and Houjo looked upon Kagome for an answer, Yuki was having an amusing time seeing how red Kagome could get.

_'Ha! She didn't even realize that she was engaged to Uncle Inuyasha when dad told her about the necklace. Now the question is does Uncle Inuyasha even know that the necklace is an engagement necklace?'_ He mused before a hand clutching his wrist broke him out of his thoughts. He looked up to see a very red Kagome tugging him in the direction of the nearest exit.

"Well, I gotta go now! Busy, busy, busy! Maybe I'll see you guys later, bye!" Kagome shouted as she pulled Yuki to the exit leaving her three friends and Houjo standing in the middle of the food court.

"Umm.........I think that means she is engaged." Ayumi slowly said.

"But I thought she said that they were friends." Yuka responded.

"So, you mean she was lying to us and has been going out with him?" Eri shrieked out.

"I don't know guys. Maybe Kagome had a very good reason not to tell us. Maybe they hadn't made it official so they were keeping it a secret." Ayumi explained.

"Ohhhhhhh," Eri and Yuka drew out, all the while forgetting about Houjo who was staring at the spot that Kagome had resided in with a confused look.

* * *

"I can't believe you said that!" Kagome yelled at Yuki who was grinning like a madman while they walked towards the mall's parking lot.

"It's true. Besides I know for a fact that if Uncle Inuyasha was here that he would have stopped that guy too. I learned from my dad that Uncle Inuaysha is very protective of you." Yuki responded. Kagome stopped her rant and smiled wistfully remembering memories of her and Inuyasha.

"I know, I know. Let's not worry about engagements or anything else. I need to train and become stronger." Kagome said with determination. Yuki gave a chuckle and started walking down the parking lot to where his car was.

"Well then, let's go home and we'll see what you've got Aunt Kagome!" Yuki responded before walking to his car, Kagome following with a very Inuyasha-ish smirk on her face.

* * *

A/N: O.o'' Well, it's a filler chapter, but it's better than nothing. 10 pages is a lot! Well, I hope you guys liked it.

P.S. Concerning reviews that stated if I was going to do a sequel. Well, I do have an idea for a sequel, but it'll be based on what kind of response that this story gets.

REMEMBER!!

READ & REVIEW PLEASE!

Ja ne


	13. Training to Protect

A/N: YES! I AM ALIVE! (please don't kill me!) Fear not my appreciative readers, I would never give up on any of my stories! (tries to strike a heroic pose but fails) ahaha!

Anyways sorry for the LONG wait! It won't happen again! I'm trying to be more diligently this year when I go off to university.

If you wanna blame my lack of updates blame it on my beta, she got me into lots of anime! The lists just keeps growing!

You might also be surprised at the lack of update for the summer, got three words for you: full time job! Yes, I have a job! MONEY! We all know where that goes to! ANIME!

Back to the subject! I'll try to update more regularly and not make you wait months!

**REVIEW REPONSES!**

**Jammies2000:** I know what you mean! Girl has no back bone when it come to her friends. About the training part and her going back, well you'll see! Review again!

**Nicnivin:** THANK-YOU! Best fic you ever read! I don't know about that! I appreciate it though! Here's the next chapter!

**Imperial Angel:** LOL It's like Kenshin! Right? Or am I getting my anime mixed up! Brain overload! Lol, review again!

**TaKeMyPaInAwAy**: HEHEHEHE! Ya, the whole engage scenario is funny! About Inuyasha's reaction (rubs hands evilly) you'll see! Thanks for the review.

**Evilblackcat:** Thanks, it's good that people liked the filler chapter! YA, Kag's is off limits now! No problem about the episode thing! About the time thing, I am trying to be different. In this fic, I don't want it to be Inuyasha getting her (cause that's what happens in all other fic) this time it's Kag taking charge! Review again!

**Secret-punk-rocker**: ahahahaha (rubs back of my head) Well, lack of updating….um….you see….you read the above right? SORRY! Thanks for liking the story though and review again!

**Membar:** Thanks for liking the story, here's the next chapter!

**Calyne**: WOW! (blushes from praises) thanks for liking the fic! I hope you like this chapter, and a hint since your review made me feel so good, next chapter is gonna be long and lets just say someone is going back! About the whole 100 word chapter, totally agree with you! So Cheap! They should just wait until they have more! Anyways review again!

**Gohan/videlgoten/trunkslover:** WOW! Long name! Ummm….here's the update!

**Stephmote:** Thanks! Here's the next chapter and I hope you review again!

**Mad-4-Manga:** WOW! Thanks! I'll check out you're stories when I have time (I'm currently immersing myself in naruto fanfics) Review again!

ENJOY THE CHAPTER!

* * *

_Last time..._

"She can't go out with you," Yuki said in a cold and chilly voice. They all turned to Yuki who was glaring at Houjo like he wanted to gut him.

"Why not?" Houjo asked, not noticing the dangerous gleam in Yuki's eyes.

"Because you don't ask an engaged woman out, do you?"

"ENGAGED!" The trio of girls and Houjo yelled before turning to a flustered Kagome.

_'Engaged? What is Yuki talking about? I'm not engaged………wait a minute!'_ Kagome thought before looking at the necklace she was wearing around her neck; the one that Inuyasha had given to her. _'Yesterday………yesterday Sesshoumaru told me that this necklace was an engagement necklace. So, I guess that would mean that I'm engaged to INUYASHA!' _Kagome realized with a start. Her eyes widened and her face slowly began to turn red right to the tips of her ears. While Kagome's friends and Houjo looked upon Kagome for an answer, Yuki was having an amusing time seeing how red Kagome could get.

_'Ha! She didn't even realize that she was engaged to Uncle Inuyasha when dad told her about the necklace. Now the question is does Uncle Inuyasha even know that the necklace is an engagement necklace?'_ He mused before a hand clutching his wrist broke him out of his thoughts. He looked up to see a very red Kagome tugging him in the direction of the nearest exit.

"Well, I gotta go now! Busy, busy, busy! Maybe I'll see you guys later, bye!" Kagome shouted as she pulled Yuki to the exit leaving her three friends and Houjo standing in the middle of the food court.

"Umm………I think that means she is engaged." Ayumi slowly said.

"But I thought she said that they were friends." Yuka responded.

"So, you mean she was lying to us and has been going out with him?" Eri shrieked out.

"I don't know guys. Maybe Kagome had a very good reason not to tell us. Maybe they hadn't made it official so they were keeping it a secret." Ayumi explained.

"Ohhhhhhh," Eri and Yuka drew out, all the while forgetting about Houjo who was staring at the spot that Kagome had resided in with a confused look.

"I can't believe you said that!" Kagome yelled at Yuki who was grinning like a madman while they walked towards the mall's parking lot.

"It's true. Besides I know for a fact that if Uncle Inuyasha were here that he would have stopped that guy too. I learned from my dad that Uncle Inuyasha is very protective of you." Yuki responded. Kagome stopped her rant and smiled wistfully remembering memories of her and Inuyasha.

"I know, I know. Let's not worry about engagements or anything else. I need to train and become stronger." Kagome said with determination. Yuki gave a chuckle and started walking down the parking lot to where his car was.

"Well then, let's go home and we'll see what you've got Aunt Kagome!" Yuki responded before walking to his car, Kagome following with a very Inuyasha-ish smirk on her face.

* * *

_**Chapter 13: Training to Protect**_

As the duo walked through the hallways, Kagome couldn't help but notice the things around her. There were many pictures and portraits lining the walls, some of them were from places in the Feudal era.

As Kagome was busy looking at the décor, Yuki led her to the dojo in his home. As he slid the old Japanese doors open, he pulled Kagome in as well since she was about to walk past the door.

"Amazing!" Kagome exclaimed as she saw the interior of the dojo. To say the least, the place was huge! It was at least the size of a football field and it was floored with a soft mat. Many different types of weapons lined one of the walls. Yuki padded his way barefoot to the side of the wall where the weapons were and picked up what appeared to Kagome, two wooden sticks, before moving to the middle of the room.

Kagome followed suit and stopped across from him. Yuki then gave her one of the wooden sticks.

"This is called a kendo sword. We'll practise with these before you can move onto real swords. Right now we'll do some light katas with the kendo sword and then I'm going to show you some defensive and offensive moves. Then, we'll take a small break before starting some hand to hand combat. This is your routine everyday until otherwise." Yuki explained. Kagome held the sword in her hands lightly, blinking at Yuki.

"Okay!" She squeaked out. _'I'm gonna be sore!_' She noted bitterly in her head.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it!" Yuki told her as if reading her thoughts. He laughed at her expression, noting to himself that she wasn't going to believe him. He sighed at her and shook his head. "You'll see," he finished off before going into a standard stance with his sword clasped in front of him.

(A/N: I know nothing about sword fighting, so please excuse the crappiness! XP)

"Am I suppose to do the same thing as you?" Kagome asked while looking at Yuki.

"Yes. This is the standard stance you should fall into, if you ever get the chance to take out your sword. It doesn't leave any opening points in your stance for your opponent to exploit." Yuki explained. "Now then, let's begin!"

And that was how it began. For the next couple of months, everyday, Kagome would train with Yuki, toning her body and her usefulness in sword abilities as well as other weapons.

After the first month had finished, Sesshoumaru had given a book to Kagome concerning miko spells and how to use her miko powers. No one knew what was in the book, since only mikos could open it. Kagome studied that book in the privacy of her shrine home and it helped to increase her already growing power as well as tame it better.

She worked, fueled by her friends' words. She wanted to prove to them that she wasn't weak and she could protect herself.

As the stars littered the sky near the end of the third month of training, a voice filtered across a shrine.

_'This time it will be me protecting you Inuyasha.' _

* * *

Kagome silently walked down the familiar hall of the Yoshida's residence following the path to the dojo. She was in her training gear of a grey jumpsuit. She had placed Inuyasha's necklace by the picture of her and Inuyasha in her room, since she didn't want it to get broken. She walked gracefully with an air of confidence lingering in every step she took. A serene look was upon her face, since she knew she would be retuning to the Feudal Era soon.

As she made it to the dojo she looked in to find not only Yuki, but another person as well. The person was a young man about the same age as Yuki, meaning he was a couple of years older than herself. He was wearing black track pants and a fitting t-shirt, while Yuki was wearing basically the same thing.

Since Kagome's miko powers had grown, she could tell that he was wearing an enchantment charm - which was his earring - to cover his youkai looks. His disguise was shoulder-length black hair and blue-grey eyes. Her heart gave a lurch, when she was reminded of Inuyasha. She noted that he did look like him.

"Ah! Aunt Kagome, this is my friend Ryoma. He's a part of my band. Remember I told you about them." Yuki said proudly. Kagome gave a friendly wave to Ryoma and a playful grin at Yuki.

"Hai, Hai! Of course you did! You even made me listen to some of your songs that you recorded on your own. I already told you Yuki, that your band was good." Kagome told Yuki. She noticed that Ryoma was looking at her in awe and in curiosity.

"Ah, Ryoma had never seen a miko before, so ya!" Yuki chuckled out nervously and turning Kagome's attention off of Ryoma and onto him.

"Okay. So what are we going to do today?" Kagome asked.

"Well, tousan told me you'll be facing off him in a week and depending on how you fight, you can either go back or stay and train more." Yuki explained.

"Right!" Kagome said determinely. "But that doesn't explain why Ryoma is here."

"Well, every time we fought, it was one on one, so now you'll be facing two opponents."

"Oh! Well, now Yuki-chan, guess you've lost plenty of times against me, and now called for reinforcement." Kagome teased him.

"WHAT!" Yuki spluttered, his face turning red as he waved him arms around denying the accusation. In the corner, Ryoma was trying to cover up his laughter.

"Ha, see, even Ryoma-san agrees with me." Kagome replied while Yuki kept mumbling about mean aunts.

"Ano, Kagome-sama, you don't have to call me that. Ryoma is just fine," Ryoma said.

"Fine, but then you have to call me Kagome."

"Okay."

"All right! Enough chitchat! Let's fight!"

* * *

"AH! INUUUYYYAAAAASHHHHHAAAA!"

"Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!" A voice rang out as a pair of claws ripped apart the youkai that was about to pounce on Shippo. Pieces of the now decapitated youkai fell around the crouched kitsune as he shivered with his tiny paws over his head.

The little foxboy peeked through his fingers and looked around him. Seeing the now dead youkai, he gave a cry of relief before jumping onto the hanyou's shoulder who crouched near him.

"Inuyasha!"

"Keh! You alright Shippo?" Inuyasha asked, his eyes sweeping over the crying kitsune looking for any injuries.

"I'm fine."

"Well. That was too close for comfort. Don't you agree Sango?" Miroku asked as he and Sango arrived where the two youkai were.

"Hai. Shippo you really should have stayed behind that rock and hid." Sango lightly scolded the shaking kitsune.

"Gomen………" He apologized, his head downcast.

"Who cares, we got another Shikon shard, see!" Inuyasha's voice rang out. They looked to where he was pointing and saw a sliver of shard sticking out of the head of the youkai.

"Well, that's a relief. It's been a couple of weeks since we found the last shard." Sango said as she picked up the shard. She handed it to Miroku who placed it into a pouch.

"We'll have to give this shard to Kaede-sama to purify when we go back to the village. Then we can add it to the other purified shards." Miroku explained.

"Well, I guess we can finish checking this area before we head back. It that okay Inuyasha? Inuyasha?" Sango called. The two humans turned to the hanyou who was looking up at the sky.

"Inuyasha?" Shippo called from the hanyou's shoulder. It seemed to break him from his trance.

"Keh, let go check out the rest of the area before we head back to see the old hag." He responded before walking off in the direction that they were originally heading.

"He seems to be doing that a lot lately." Miroku commented.

"He must miss Kagome-chan." Sango said before following the hanyou.

* * *

Pants could be heard throughout the room. The three beings that were currently occupying the room were lying on the floor.

"How was that?" Kagome panted out.

"Good! I can't believe you beat both of us!" Yuki answered back. Kagome just gave a chuckle before getting up.

"Well, I'll see you guys tomorrow!" Kagome said before proudly walking out of the dojo.

"That was awesome!" Ryoma told Yuki who agreed and continued to lay there.

* * *

_'Okay Kagome! This is it! All your hard work pays off now. If you wanna go back to the Feudal Era, you have to impress Sesshoumaru. The best you can do is defeat him, though he is a Demon Lord! The worst is that you can't even land a finger on him. That would be a disgrace, after all the hard work that I've done and all the time Yuki spent to train me. I can't disappoint him. I have to do well. I need to go back. I know they need me.'_

These thoughts raced through Kagome's mind as she made her way to the Yoshida's dojo. Her match against Sesshoumaru was today and she was prepared, or so she hoped.

As she got in front of the closed dojo doors she stopped. The breath she was holding rushed out of her as she stared. She placed her right hand on the door to slide it open, though she noticed her hand was shaking. She clutched it to her chest before doing some breathing techniques to calm herself down.

"You can do it Kagome. All you have to do is try your best. Your opponent is on the other side; show no fear, no nervousness, and no emotion. It'll only give him an advantage. Steel yourself. You're Higurashi Kagome, a miko! The protector of the Shikon Jewel. You can do this."

With that, Kagome slid the door open and walked in with a siren grace.

_

* * *

_

A/N: Well, I figured I'd leave it like that! I was gonna include the fight scene and other stuff, but I thought you guys would want an update soon!

Hopefully the next chapter will be out soon! I know where the story is heading, it's just the filler stuff that gets me!

Next chapter, you'll see what Kag has been learning when she faces off with Sess! Thats' why i din't add the fight scenes here, more suspense!

READ & REVIEW PLEASE!

Ja ne!


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